5 reasons to lose weight

5 reasons to lose weight

So we know that losing weight will help to lower your risk of diabetes, cancer and cardiac disease. But did you know it will help with loads of other health related issues too?

The heavier you are the more likely you are to develop osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease leading to cartilage loss and the gradual destruction of the bones of our joints. Eventually it’s like two rocks grinding together – painful and stiff. When that happens you move less because it hurts, then your joints don’t get loaded so the muscles weaken, then the cushioning goes, then the strength goes – then you move even less! – Basically – less weight you carry around – less pressure on the joints – less trouble. Many of my clients report less pain and more mobility once they become more active and drop their weight

You will sleep better. Many overweight people suffer from sleep apnoea. The upper airway collapses while you sleep, cutting off the oxygen pathway. So you stop breathing while you sleep – over and over again. Exhausting (and dangerous!) . You need sleep to lose weight and you need a good oxygen supply to sleep well. If you have fat blocking your airways you are making good sleep very unlikely

Things will begin to taste much better. It seems that overweight people start to favour sweet things (its not known if excess body fat changes tastes of tastes change your appetite) and the cycle really gets going. Studies show that by losing weight the craving for sweet thins reduces. You might even start to like vegetables again!

Your immune system will work properly again. If we have too much fat our hormones get out of balance and things start going wrong. What happens? Well, too much fat can release large amounts of immune chemicals and over time this high exposure can interfere with the body’s ability to spot and stop actual outside infections. That’s one of the reasons you get so many colds!

Your chance of surviving surgery (and childbirth) is much higher. If you are fat you are a high anaesthetic risk (its harder to intubate you – get a breathing tube in). You have a higher risk of the sutures bursting and higher risk of infection

So – even more reasons to eat healthily and exercise more!