Moderate Weight Loss Offers Prolonged Benefits
According to a study it has been found that even modest weight loss offers obese and overweight adults about 10 years’ worth of health benefits.
The study, which was just presented at the annual American Psychological Association, involved 3,000 pre-diabetic overweight adults who were taught to change behavior rather than rely on prescription weight loss drugs.
Researchers used a range of behavioral techniques to teach participants to lose the weight by tracking everything they ate, reduce the unhealthy and junk food kept in the home and increase physical activity.
According to the study’s author, Rena Wing, a professor at Brown University, a relatively modest weight loss of around 14 pounds was found to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 58%.
Wing goes on to explain that helping overweight individuals change their behavior rather than choosing a prescription intervention could have a big difference by preventing a number of major health problems.
She notes that losing 10% of a individual’s body weight has also been shown to improve quality of life long-term while reducing the impact of hypertension and sleep apnea. It’s also shown to slow mobility decline in older people.
Rena Wing is currently leading a very long-term 13-year study of over 5,000 adults with type 2 diabetes to find out if behavioral intervention can reduce risks for heart disease and heart attacks as well.
This study still needs to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, so the information is only preliminary.
Still, it does offer hope for millions of Americans struggling to lose just a few pounds and the potential health benefits they can realize by achieving even small weight loss.
Health Risks of Being Overweight
Being overweight or obese puts you at an increased risk for a number of health problems, although this study underlines the benefits of even modest weight loss. If you’re obese or overweight, you’re at an increased risk for the following problems:
- Type 2 diabetes – a lifelong and chronic disease in which the body stops producing insulin or fails to respond to insulin
- Coronary heart disease – a narrowing of blood vessels that carry oxygen and blood to your heart
- Stroke – which occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked or stopped, causing damage
- Metabolic syndrome – a combination of many disorders that increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease
- Certain forms of cancer – including breast, bowel and kidney cancers as well as melanoma skin cancer and blood cancers
- Sleep apnea – a potentially deadly sleep disorder that causes pauses in breathing or low breathing
- Osteoarthritis – a joint disease that creates a loss of joint cartilage
- Gallbladder disease – which includes infection, inflammation, gallbladder stones or an obstructed gallbladder
- Fatty liver disease – an accumulation of triglyceride fats in liver cells
- Pregnancy complications – including preterm labor and birth, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes
According to the United States National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (niddk.nih.gov), there are many behavioral changes you can take to decrease your risks for these conditions.
According to the organization, losing only 5% of your total body weight can reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, among other things.
For a 200 pound adult, this means losing 10 pounds slowly with no more than 3 pounds of weight loss per week.
The group recommends long-term lifestyle changes in your eating habits and exercise. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days a week should be your goal to achieve modest weight loss.
