a lady working on weight loss

Health Benefits of Losing Weight

Being obese or overweight can lead to various health problems. Although you can find different fad diets, nutritious diets and balanced lifestyles are key to better weight control and healthy living. The so-called weight-loss diets are not sustainable as you need to make gradual, beneficial, and permanent changes in your lifestyle.

Luckily, you can also use supplements to help you shed some pounds. Below are some of the health benefits of losing weight:

Improves Hormonal Imbalance

Hormonal imbalance affects women and men differently. Women can experience irregular or painful periods, increased facial hair growth, vaginal dryness, and infertility. Men might experience erectile dysfunction, reduced sex drive, reduced muscle mass, breast tenderness, and reduced body hair. Reducing and maintaining weight reduces the symptoms and likelihood of hormonal imbalances.

Promotes Better Sleep

When overweight, you are likely to suffer sleep apnea characterized by breathing difficulties when sleeping. It is because excess weight increases deposits of fat around your neck that obstruct the airways. Although losing weight might not cure the condition, it significantly improves the quality of sleep and reduces the severity of the disease.

Losing weight means the body can use less energy to move around, meaning that you can perform more tasks with the same energy. Besides, it leads to better self-esteem as you feel better about yourself and interacts more as you feel happier.

Enhances Body Immunity

Excess fat in the body triggers the production of macrophages and pro-inflammatory immune cells that cause damage to your body. Weight loss results in reducing the pro-inflammatory cells and less activation of the circulating immune cells. Although weight loss does not protect from cancer, there is a direct relationship between obesity and the disease.

Higher body fat is associated with a higher risk of various cancers, including esophageal, endometrial, kidney, colorectal, pancreatic, breast, and thyroid cancers. Excess weight increases the risk and exacerbates arthritis, mostly related to an increase in inflammation and the wear and tear of joints. It is because excess weight leads to extra pressure on your knees and joints. 

Improves Sensitivity to Insulin 

Losing weight improves sensitivity to insulin for those with type 2 diabetes. Excess body fat increases tissues that cause inflammation, interfering with insulin functioning that helps regulate sugar levels. Besides, extra fat around the stomach leads to additional pressure that causes stomach acid reflux in the esophagus leading to heartburn. Losing weight, therefore, helps relieve heartburn.