In addition to health risks associated with being overweight or obese, it can be costly.
The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was$147 billion in 2008.
Even the First Lady has been spearheading acampaign to help combat childhood obesity.
Most of us know the obvious things that happen when you lose a lot of weight.
You’ll fit into smaller clothes (and may need a brand new wardrobe because of it).
You won’t have as many aches and pains.
You’ll sleep better and you’ll have more energy.
But how do these things happen?
In addition to muscles and ligaments, our joints help hold us up when we stand and move.
Many of these joints also support the weight we carry.
These weight-bearing joints include the knees, hips, and ankles for primary support.
When you carry extra weight, these joints have to offer more support.
This leads to a higher prevalence of not only general joint pain, but alsoosteoarthritis and joint replacement.
One way to explain this is because your low back is another weight-bearing area of your body.
Maybe you’re actually enjoying sex more, too?
Researchers have observed that with weight loss, these hormone levels arerestored to normal functioning.
While obesity has been linked to breast cancer, losing weight can decrease that risk.
Free testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin aren’t the only hormones impacted by significant weight loss.
After menopause, fat is theprimary storage location for estrogen.
This means that the more fatty tissue a woman has, the more estrogen may be stored.
While more estrogen is equated with more body fat at all ages, this is particularly true after menopause.
This is important because high estrogen and androgen levels have beenlinked to an increased risk for breast cancer.
More recent research suggests that losing weight prior to menopause can alsoreduce the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.
By losing weight now, you are already reducing your risk of getting breast cancer later in life.
Breathing and lung function are related to weight in several ways.
Another aspect of breathing that is impacted by being overweight or obese is asthma.
This fat puts pressure on the airway when a person is lying flat.
People with obstructive sleep apnea often feel tired throughout the day because their sleep is disrupted throughout the night.
By losing weight and reducing the risk of sleep apnea, you’ll get a better night’s sleep.
You’ll also sleep better if one of the methods you employ to lose weight is regular exercise.
There are more advantages to sweating it out at the gym than fitting into your skinny jeans.
It may be easier to get pregnant
For many women, getting pregnant can be difficult.
This may be particularly true for women who are overweight or obese.
While this is great news, sometimes fertility issues may be sparked by another underlying issue.
It turns out these too can be exacerbated by being overweight.
For example, obesity canworsen the symptomsof Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which is related to infertility.
When overweight or obese women with PCOS lose weight, their fertility outcomes are improved.
In fact, weight loss in obese infertile women seeking any pop in of fertility treatmentleads to improved outcome.
You aren’t alone.
