So, why is losing weight such a big deal ?

     According to the Journal of American Medicine, 2010 - Obesity continues to rise in the United States, exceeding 30 percent in most sex and age groups.

     I am going to make you mainly aware of some of the complications of obesity and weight gain. This seemed like the right topic as I'm currently on a weight loss plan myself.

     Knee pain due to injury or arthritis can be improved by losing weight. Losing just 5 percent of your body weight (10lbs if you weigh 200lbs) can help reduce knee pain. Each lb that you lose translates to 4lbs less pressure on the knees. Losing just 10lbs can reduce the pressure on your knees by 40lbs. It may not cure your arthritis but it's a big help with your daily activities.

     If you are obese and you haven't been diagnosed with diabetes you could be heading towards being a type 2 diabetic or perhaps you already are and don't know it yet. Excess fat makes the body insulin resistant allowing blood sugar to build up setting the stage for diabetes. Losing 5-10 percent of your body weight can lower blood sugar levels and may even help diabetics reduce insulin requirements. Sometimes we classify these conditions as diseases when they are nothing more than your bodies physiology responding to excess.

     Increases in body fat leads to a rise in estrogen levels. This has been linked to increased chances of cancer, not to mention ovarian cysts, endometriosis, and increased blood clotting risks. The age of puberty in women has dropped to 10 years old. Endometriosis afflicts 10 percent of perimenopausal women, PMS affects 30 percent of the population, uterine fibroids affects close to 25 percent of women age 35-50, and breast cancer afflicts close to 10 percent of all women. All of these may be reduced by attempting to lose weight and reach your normal body mass index and estrogen levels.

     These effects are just a few that obesity has on people. If we are even slightly obese now and do not change your sedentary habits it will become more difficult to lose weight when you have aged and your metabolism naturally decelerates. Choose to make better eating and exercise patterns now and stick to them. It will take time to change but you will have more time in the long run.

Dr. Danielle Cossin
http://www.drdaniellecossin.com