Weight Loss The Benefits

Have you ever interacted with people who look physically huge or big according to you, but they are proud of themselves for having shed off a few pounds? Even though they seem to be overweight, they have actually lost some weight. This brings us to the question, what exactly is considered as weight loss and what are its benefits? Benefits of weight loss arent reserved for those who lose 30, 70 or 100kgs, by losing just 10kgs or even 5kgs you can reduce the likeliness of being affected by illnesses that come about due to being overweight. It seems modest but it has a huge impact. Losing weight has health benefits which have to do with the physiological state of the body, psychological benefits which mostly involve how the individual feels about themselves as well as the social benefits which involve the societys view of the individual who has lost weight.

Health benefits

Improved sleep

Have you ever had an opportunity to sleep in the same room with someone who snores? There are many theories that seek to explain why people snow but in regard to overweight people, they tend to have more soft tissue in the neck which increases the incidence of snoring. Snoring can be a symptom of a potentially life threatening condition called sleep apnea, where breathing becomes completely obstructed and requires someone to awaken to begin breathing again. Most times those who are affected may not remember that they woke up several times during their sleep. This deprivation of sleep and oxygen has health effects which include a compromised immune system, heart disease, high blood pressure and memory problems.

Losing weight therefore reduces the amount of fatty tissue in the back of the throat and decreases snoring. Maintaining a healthy weight encourages better quality sleep and reduces the risk of sleep apnea.

Healthy heart

We all know that the heart is a vital organ for human survival, and losing weight helps in ensuring it stays healthier. Being overweight causes the liver to produce excessive amounts of LDL (Low density cholesterol). Accumulation of excess body fat releases certain naturally occurring chemicals into the blood stream that causes the blood pressure to rise. LDL tends to accumulate in the walls of the blood vessels leading to narrowing of the arteries and increases the risks of heart attack and strokes.

Losing weight therefore diminishes the amount of LDL the liver produces which in turn reduces blood pressure.

Prevent type 2 diabetes

Excess weight makes it difficult for cells to respond to insulin because the extra fat acts like an insulating layer, making it harder for the sugar to move into cells and resulting in higher circulating blood sugar levels. Losing weight reduces these risks. Weight loss of 7% or even moderate physical activity can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.

Healthy joints

Being overweight increases the load placed on the weight bearing joints for example the knees and hips. It is estimated that a force between 3 to 6 times your body weight is exerted across the knee while walking, so losing weight reduces the risk of having pain in the joints and wearing off of the cartilage (the tissue that protects the joints).

Improved fertility

Being overweight during pregnancy has been reported to increase rates of miscarriage and medical complications which may include, pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia just to name a few. Deliveries in overweight women have been reported to be complicated by higher levels of labor induction, caesarean section and difficult labor due to increased size of the baby. Babies born to overweight women are more likely to require admission to neonatal intensive care and to have congenital abnormalities. Losing weight or maintaining normal weight is very crucial for pregnant women since it will help prevent all this problems.

Psychological benefits

Better perception of the self

Am not trying to imply that everyone who is overweight has esteem issues but you have to agree with me that if you are in a circle of friends where one person is overweight and it reflects on their body size, they tend to admire their other friends who are smaller.

Being overweight is associated with a negative stigma and these individuals can often be subjected to negative stereotyping. This may include, being viewed as lazy, greedy and weak willed. This stigma leads these individuals to have a low self-esteem and body esteem, depressive symptoms and poor quality of life. Weight loss serves to improve the psychological outcomes and in turn these improvements may increase the chance of maintaining a successful weight loss program.

Feeling of achievement

I have never been through the process of losing weight, whether its hitting the gym, going for morning runs specifically for the purpose of losing weight but I do have close family and friends who go through that. It requires a lot of discipline and determination to go through this process. After putting in all that effort and actually managing to shed off a few pounds, even I would feel a great sense of achievement, wouldnt you?

Reduce depression

While exercising for the purpose of losing weight, the physical activity involved increases the level of mood elevating chemicals in the brain.

Sexuality

Research shows that heavier people have more sexual difficulties, loss of desire and poorer body image. Losing weight can improve arousal, orgasm, lubrication and sexual satisfaction in women.

Social benefits

Unfortunately the society has these standards that it expects every individual to meet even in the issue of weight, even though it all depends on culture.

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