Weight Change for Health
Does Extra Weight Hurt You?
Yes and this is how:
OBESITY and OVERWEIGHT
increase your chances for
Heart Disease
(including: high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and high cholesterol)
Diabetes
Cancer
(including cancer of the: uterus lining, esophagus, stomach, liver, kidneys, and several others)
And there are other costs:
When you are admitted to the hospital, the costs are 46% higher.
Outpatient doctor costs are 27% higher.
Prescription drug costs to you are 80% higher.
Ok, That’s Pretty Concerning Stuff
If you are already struggling with blood pressure, cholesterol or blood glucose, you likely wonder if weight loss will help.
I Have Good News!
Research studies have shown that relatively small amounts of weight loss cause big changes in these problems!
Let’s Look at Lipids:
6 pounds of weight loss can lower your triglyceride by 15 mg/dl
11-17 pounds of weight loss can lower LDL by 5 mg/dl
These are healthy changes!
How About Blood Pressure?
A 5% weight loss can lower your systolic blood pressure (upper number) by 3 mmHg
What About Diabetes?
6-12 kg of weight loss can lower your risk of Type 2 Diabetes by 30 to 60%
Ok, So How?
Recommendations for weight loss are everywhere!
Energy Deficit is Required
This means eating 30% FEWER calories than you burn each day.
- For Women, the target is 1,200-1,500 kcal/day
- For Men, the target is 1,500-1,800 kcal/day
This also means bumping the number of calories you burn.
- Walking is the best way to start.
- 10,000 steps a day is a GREAT target!
- Your phone and many devices are available to help you reach that goal.
