How Much Do You Need to Lose to Gain?

Are you trying to lose weight?  Maybe struggling to lose the goal amount of weight that you want to?  For health educators, there are plenty of individuals that you know who are also attempting to lose weight.  If the reason for this is to be "healthy" - meaning, they want to reduce their risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other diseases, what is the magical body weight that reduces these risks?  Well, it may be a bit easier than you think.

My professors always told us that if America would lose 10% of it's weight, we would be much healthier and reduce the risk of a handful of diseases.  Research presented at the American Psychological Association's 120th Annual Convention reaffirms this. They found drastic reductions in risk for type 2 diabetes (58%) for people who had lost an average of 14 pounds.  They go on to conclude that for overweight or obese individuals, just a 10% reduction in weight  have been shown to have long term impact on sleep apnea, hypertension, qaulity of life, and a slow in the decline of mobility as they age.

So don't be stressed about losing "half your body weight" (such as the show "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" aims to achieve), modest amounts can have a huge impact on your future.

Turns out that my professors knew a thing or two about health!

Cheers to making big improvements in our health with small steps!