The scales are certainly tipped in favor of losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. So many serious diseases can be prevented or at least delayed by moving towards a more normal weight.
According to diabetes.about.com, health risks associated with being overweight or obese include; gall bladder problems, certain types of arthritis, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), pulmonary diseases such as sleep apnea, or diseases of the liver, and, of course, diabetes.
Studies have shown that the risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes is reduced if people work to lose only five to seven per cent of their body weight. For many people, this works out to about 7 to 10 pounds.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with insulin resistance. Insulin is an important hormone that delivers glucose (sugar) to our cells. When a person is overweight, the cells in the body become less sensitive to the insulin that is released from the pancreas. There is some evidence that fat cells are more resistant to insulin than muscle cells. If a person has more fat cells than muscle cells, then the insulin becomes less effective overall, and glucose remains circulating in the blood instead of being taken in to the cells to be used as energy.
Even if someone already has diabetes, losing a moderate amount of weight can dramatically slow the progression of the disease. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels also benefit when just this small percentage of body weight is lost.
It’s not just how much people weigh, but also where they carry the weight, which puts them at greater risk for health problems. People who carry more weight around their waist — an “apple-shape” — are more likely to suffer from obesity-related problems than someone who is “pear-shaped,” or carries more weight in their hips and thighs.
