Weight loss of as little as 5 percent of your body weight can lower health risks. Studies show that even a small amount of weight loss reduces the risk of developing disease and also makes existing conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, easier to manage. So losing just a few pounds can add up to big health benefits.
What's 5 percent?
- 5 percent of 240 pounds is 12 pounds. If you weigh 240 pounds, losing 12 pounds can make managing chronic disease easier.
- 5 percent of 200 pounds is 10 pounds. If you weigh 200, losing 10 pounds can greatly benefit your health.
- 5 percent of 160 pounds is 8 pounds. If you weight 160 pounds, losing just 8 pounds can reduce your risk for disease.
What are the health risks of being overweight?
Some of the possible health problems that stem from being overweight include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and stroke. Being overweight also raises your risk of certain types of cancer.
- Overweight men are more likely than normal-weight men to die from cancer of the colon, rectum, and prostate.
- Women who are overweight are more likely than other women to die from cancer of the gallbladder, breast, uterus, cervix, and ovaries.
- Death from some cancers may be more likely because being overweight makes the cancers harder to detect in the early stages. For example, the initial small lump of breast cancer may not be felt in some overweight women.
- Current research suggests that obesity may be a risk factor for Alzheimer's-type dementia.
Other disease and health problems linked to being overweight include:
- Gallbladder disease and gallstones
- Osteoarthritis of the hip, knee, and lower back, partly a result of excess weight on the joints
- Sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by loud snoring and multiple short periods when breathing stops during sleep
- Psychological and social problems such as depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems
Talk to your doctor about viagra 25 Mg the first steps to losing just a few pounds. Cutting a few calories or making an effort to move more can go a long way toward losing 5 percent of your body weight.
