Weight Loss Health Information

1. Heart disease and stroke
3. High blood pressure
4. Diabetes
5. Cancer
6. Gallbladder disease and gallstones
7. Osteoarthritis
8. Gout
9. Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea (when a person stops breathing for a short time during sleep) and asthma

How Is Obesity Linked to Heart Disease and Stroke?

Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability for people in the U.S. Overweight people are twice as likely to have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, than people who are not overweight. Very high blood levels of cholesterol can also lead to heart disease and often are linked to being overweight. Being overweight also contributes to angina (chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart) and sudden death from heart disease or stroke without any signs or symptoms.

The good news is that losing a small amount of weight can reduce your chances of developing heart disease or a stroke. Reducing your weight by 10% can decrease your chance of developing heart disease.

How Is Obesity Linked to Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes reduces your body's ability to control blood sugar. It is a major cause of early death, heart disease, stroke, and blindness. Overweight people are more than twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to normal weight people. More than 80% of cases of type 2 diabetes can be attributed to being overweight or obese. You can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by losing weight and exercising more. If you have type 2 diabetes, losing weight and becoming more physically active can help control your blood sugar levels. Increasing your physical activity may also allow you to reduce the amount of diabetes medication you need.

How Is Obesity and Cancer Linked?

Several types of cancer are associated with being overweight. Being obese also increases the risk of dying from cancer. In women, these include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, cervix, ovary, breast, and colon. Overweight men are at higher risk for developing colorectal cancer and prostate cancer. For some types of cancer, such as colon or breast, it is not clear whether the increased risk is due to the extra weight or to a high-fat, high-calorie diet.

How Is Obesity Related to Gallbladder Disease?

Gallbladder disease and gallstones are more common if you are overweight. Your risk of disease increases as your weight increases. It is not clear how being overweight may cause gallbladder disease.

Ironically, weight loss itself, particularly rapid weight loss or loss of a large amount of weight, can actually increase your chances of developing gallstones. Modest, slow weight loss of about 1 pound a week is less likely to cause gallstones.

How Does Obesity Cause Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a common joint condition that most often affects the knee, hip, and lower back joints. Carrying extra pounds places extra pressure on these joints and wear away the cartilage (tissue that cushions the joints) that normally protects them.

Weight loss can decrease stress on the knees, hips, and lower back and may improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

How Is Obesity Linked to Gout?

Gout is a disease that affects the joints that is caused by high levels of a substance called uric acid in the blood. The large amount of uric acid can form into solid or crystal-like masses that deposit in the joints. Gout is more common in overweight people and the risk of developing the disorder increases with higher body weights.

Over the short term, certain dietary changes may lead to an attack of gout in people who have high levels of uric acid or who have had gout before. If you have a history of gout, check with your doctor before trying to lose weight.

How Is Obesity Linked to Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a serious breathing condition that is associated with being overweight. Sleep apnea can cause a person to snore heavily and to stop breathing for short periods during sleep. Sleep apnea may cause daytime sleepiness and even heart failure. The risk for sleep apnea increases as body weight increases. Weight loss usually improves sleep apnea.

What's The Best Strategy To Lose Weight In A Hurry?

If you search the internet for quick weight loss products you'll find thousands of get-thin-quick schemes, but the truth is they're all going to backfire. Any diet that drastically cuts your calorie intake - whether it's the cabbage diet, the grapefruit diet, the Hollywood diet, or the chocolate-fudge diet can take pounds off quickly.

However, you're going to put those pounds right back on if you make radical changes that you can't sustain. Besides, much of the weight you lose right away is water, not fat, and when you go on a crash diet you're likely to lose more muscle tissue than when you shed pounds at a slower rate.

You can also forget about those soaps that claim to was away cellulite, as well as slim patches, fat-burning pills, and fat-melting devices. Like gimmicky diets, they won't help you lose weight or keep it off.

Above all, losing weight quickly isn't good for your health. It can seriously compromise your intake of essential nutrients, and some rapid weight-loss plans can leave you dangerously weak and dehydrated.

Chances are you didn't gain those extra 30 pounds in a few weeks; you can't expect to lose them in two weeks' time for your 20th high school reunion or Caribbean cruise. You're best off aiming to lose 1 pound a week, perhaps slightly more if you're seriously overweight.