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What Increases if You Lose Weight?

Weight loss isn't always difficult, but for many people the trade-off of eating right and exercising is worth it. People who are overweight have a higher risk of developing chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes. When you lose weight, the number on the scale will drop, but a number of health benefits will increase to keep you living stronger and longer.

  1. Heart Health

    • Heart health increases with weight loss in many people. Those who are overweight are more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, two risk factors for heart disease. Losing weight can lower both to normal levels, which in turn reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems.

    Glucose Tolerance

    • Losing weight may lead to increased glucose tolerance. Glucose tolerance has to do with how your body processes sugar to turn it into energy. People who are overweight often have higher-than-normal glucose levels due to the body's inability to process glucose effectively. This is referred to as impaired glucose tolerance, or pre-diabetes. Without lifestyle changes or treatment, those with IGT can develop diabetes. Diabetes can raise your risk of heart disease, stroke and blindness, according to the American Diabetes Association. Weight loss can lower blood sugar levels in many people, thus increasing your glucose tolerance.

    Self-Esteem

    • Weight loss can increase feelings of self-worth and well-being in many people. A 2007 issue of the "Journal of Health Psychology" reports that adults studied during weight loss treatment showed higher self-esteem when they lost weight. Purdue University studies showed similar results among African-American adolescent girls. White, teenage girls did not show a marked increase in well-being, however, indicating that culture may play a role in the link between mental and physical health.

    Life Expectancy

    • Above all, many people who lose weight can enjoy a longer life. Being overweight increases your risk of a number of health conditions that, in some cases, can cut your life short by up to 10 years, according to University of Oxford. According Oxford researchers, moderate obesity or having a body mass index of 30 to 35 can reduce your life expectancy by three years, while severely obese people with a BMI of 40 to 50 could die a decade sooner than their average-weight peers.

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