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10 benefits of losing weight: How shedding just 5% of your body weight may improve your blood sugar, self-esteem, and sex drive
- Losing weight has many health benefits and you don't need to lose that much weight to achieve them.
- Research shows that losing just 5% to 10% of your body weight may improve mental health and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.
- Weight loss may also improve your sleep, raise self-esteem, and boost sex drive and energy levels.
- This article wasmedically reviewedbyJason R. McKnight, MD, MS, a family medicine physician and clinical assistant professor atTexas A&M College of Medicine.
- This article is part of Insider's guide onHow To Lose Weight.
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Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 50, shedding extra weight is tough. If you've tried before and fell short of your goal, it can be hard to stay motivated.
But you don't necessarily need to lose a ton of weight to experience health benefits, says Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center.
In fact, research shows losing as little as 5% of your body weight can improve your health in many ways. Here are 10 proven health benefits of weight loss and tips for how to lose weight safely.
1. Helps regulate blood sugar and diabetes
Losing weight improves insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes, says Preeti Pusalkar, a certified clinical nutritionist with Hudson Medical Center, a primary care provider in New York City.
Excess body fat leads to an increase in adipose tissue, which causes inflammation and interferes with the function of insulin the hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Weight loss reduces adipose tissue, which allows the body to manage blood sugar more effectively. Plus, you don't have to lose that much weight to see results. Research has found that just a 5% reduction in body weight improved blood sugar levels in adults.
2. Improved heart health
Losing weight can also improve heart health by reducing pressure on arteries, meaning the heart doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood through the body. The result is lower blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels the "bad" kind of cholesterol that can increase your risk of heart disease, Pusalkar says.
And it doesn't matter if you lose weight through diet and exercise or weight-loss surgery like metabolic surgery you'll reap benefits regardless, according to a large 2020 study.
Researchers examined the effects of weight loss surgery on obese patients who either had weight loss surgery or who lost weight through lifestyle changes. The risk of heart disease for the surgical group decreased after a 5% to 10% loss of body weight while the nonsurgical group saw a decrease after losing about 20% of body weight.
3. Decreased risk of stroke
Excess weight can increase blood pressure, and therefore your risk of stroke. This is because high blood pressure puts a strain on your blood vessels, making them stiffer and more likely to cause blood to clot.
"Losing weight helps improve the efficiency of the heart due to less constricted blood vessels," Pusalkar says.
4. Better sleep
Overweight people are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea a disorder characterized by disrupted breathing while sleeping. Excess weight can increase fat deposits in your neck, which can obstruct your airways.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, losing weight likely won't entirely cure the condition. However, losing just 10% to 15% of your body weight can improve sleep quality and reduce the severity of sleep apnea in moderately obese patients, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
5. Improved mobility
Losing weight alleviates pressure on knees and joints, which can improve mobility, Pusalkar says. A large 2012 study of obese adults with type 2 diabetes found as little as a 1% drop in weight cut mobility limitations, such as difficulty walking or climbing stairs, by more than 7%.
6. Higher self-esteem
While there is no direct correlation between weight loss and self-esteem, some studies show that weight loss can improve mood and self-confidence.
A 2014 review examined 36 studies to determine the psychological benefits of weight loss. Researchers found consistent improvements in body image, self-worth, and general well-being among subjects who lost weight.
7. Decreased joint pain
Excess weight can cause joints to become stressed, damaged, and inflamed but losing weight can help.
A 2018 study examined obese adults with arthritis pain in their knees. Researchers found that losing 10% to 20% of body weight resulted in less pain and improved joint function than losing just 5% of body weight, which did not show any significant joint pain benefits.
The reason likely has to do with how quickly joints wear down when under additional stress from excess weight. "As the smooth surface at the ends of bones, or cartilage, becomes damaged and worn, you feel pain and stiffness in the joint," Pulsalkar says.
8. Boosts energy
Because weight loss can improve sleep, you might also feel more energized during the day, Pulsalkar says. Excess weight also means your body has to work harder to move. Therefore, shedding some pounds means you use less energy to move. It also improves respiratory function, which can also make you feel more energized.
9. Higher sex drive
While research on the correlation between excess weight and sex drive is still emerging, weight gain has been shown to increase sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in your blood. This can lower free testosterone levels and decrease your libido, Pulsalkar says.
10. Reduced risk of certain cancers
According to the American Cancer Society, excess body weight is thought to be the cause of about 11% of cancers in women and about 5% of cancers in men. Obesity increases your risk of developing several different cancers, including:
- Endometrial cancer
- Breast cancer (in women past menopause)
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
The exact link between excess weight and cancer is still unknown, but researchers believe inflammation due to visceral fat the fat surrounding vital organs is to blame. Losing weight could lower your risk of developing these cancers.
Takeaways
Some people may need to lose significantly more weight to experience some of these benefits, Ali says. But for the most part, losing as little as 5% of your body weight can lead to many health benefits, like improved heart health and decreased risk of diabetes. But, before starting any weight loss program, it's important to talk with your doctor about the right plan and goals for you.
Related articles fromHealth Reference:
Exercise and Weight Loss
The Importance of Weight Loss and Exercise
Carrying around too much weight feels uncomfortable, and it can also damage your health. According the
- Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
- Calculate your height in inches squared.
- Divide the resulting number from step 1 by the resulting number in step 3.
Obesity can lead to a number of serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some types of cancer.
One method that can help a person lose weight is to limit the number of calories taken in through their diet. The other way is to burn extra calories with exercise.
Combining exercise with a healthy diet is a more effective way to lose weight than depending on calorie restriction alone. Exercise can prevent or even reverse the effects of certain diseases. Exercise lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, which may prevent a heart attack.
In addition, if you exercise, you lower your risk of developing certain types of cancers such as colon and breast cancer. Exercise is also known to help contribute to a sense of confidence and well-being, thus possibly lowering rates of anxiety and depression.
Exercise is helpful for weight loss and maintaining weight loss. Exercise can increase metabolism, or how many calories you burn in a day. It can also help you maintain and increase lean body mass, which also helps increase number of calories you burn each day.
To reap the health benefits of exercise, it is recommended that you to perform some form of aerobic exercise at least three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes per session. However, more than 20 minutes is better if you want to actually lose weight. Incorporating just 15 minutes of moderate exercise such as walking one mile on a daily basis will burn up to 100 extra calories (assuming you dont consume excess calories in your diet afterwards). Burning 700 calories a week can equals 10 lbs. of weight loss over the course of a year.
To receive all of the health benefits of exercise, youll need to mix in some higher intensity exercises. To get an idea of how hard you are working, you can check your heart rate. The basic formula for determining your target heart rate is to subtract your age from 220 and then calculate 60 to 80 percent of that number.
Talk to a trainer or your healthcare team to help you determine your best intensity for each workout. Those with special health concerns such as an injury, diabetes, or a heart condition should consult a physician before beginning any fitness program.
The type of exercise you choose for weight loss doesnt matter as much as whether or not youre doing it. Thats why experts recommend you pick exercises you enjoy, so that youll stick to a regular routine.
Aerobic
No matter what exercise program you implement, it should include some form of aerobic or cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic exercises get your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Aerobic exercises may include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, and dancing. You can also work out on a fitness machine such as a treadmill, elliptical, or stair stepper.
Weight Training
A big advantage of working out with weights is that, in addition to shedding fat, youll build muscle. Muscle, in turn, burns calories. Talk about a healthy feedback loop! Experts recommend working all the major muscle groups three times per week. This includes:
- abs
- back
- biceps
- calves
- chest
- forearms
- hamstrings
- quads
- shoulders
- traps
- triceps
Yoga
Yoga is not as intense as other types of exercise, but it can help you lose weight in other ways, according to a recent study by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The study found that people who practice yoga are more mindful about what they eat and, therefore, less likely to have obesity.
The total amount of exercise you engage in during a day matters more than whether or not you do it in a single session. Thats why small changes in your daily routine can make a big difference in your waistline.
Healthy lifestyle habits to consider include:
- walking or riding your bike to work or while running errands
- taking the stairs instead of the elevator
- parking farther away from destinations and walking the remaining distance
The average adult male who doesnt exercise requires approximately 2,200 calories a day to maintain his average weight. A female needs about 1,800 calories to maintain her weight.
The following list contains common activities and the approximate amount of calories burned per hour:
Activities
Calories Burned
playing baseball, golf, or cleaning the house
240 to 300
brisk walking, biking, dancing, or gardening
370 to 460
playing football, jogging (at a nine-minute-mile pace), or swimming
580 to 730
skiing, racquetball, or running (at a seven-minute-mile pace)
740 to 920
Talk to your doctor before you start a new exercise program, especially if you are planning on doing vigorous exercise. This is especially important if you have:
- heart disease
- lung disease
- diabetes
- kidney disease
- arthritis
People who have been very inactive for the recent months, who are overweight, or have recently quit smoking should also talk to their doctors before staring a new exercise program.
When you are first starting a new exercise program, its important to pay attention to the signals your body is giving you. You should push yourself, so that your fitness level improves. However, pushing yourself too hard can cause you to injure yourself. Stop exercising if you start to experience pain or shortness of breath.
