Why Lose weight?

Why do we want to lose weight? Aren’t we all a little more cheerful when we have a little weight? What is the harm in not being super skinny?  Is it just social pressure and social conventions that say we should be a certain size?

A new study suggests that previous studies have under estimated the harmful effects of carrying extra weight. The new study, conducted by researchers from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, attempted to find a link between Body Mass Index (BMI) and risk of death.

Other studies have also suggested that even a small amount of weight gain in healthy, young individuals is associated with worsening heart function, posing a greater risk for future heart failure. People who were not obese at baseline and gained weight had a greater negative impact on their cardiac structure and function than people who were obese already.

What are the benefits of losing weight?

1.      Feeling better:

·         Having more energy

·         Sleeping better and waking up feeling rested and in a good mood

·         Having fewer aches and pains

·         Improved ability to move and get around

·         Finding it easier to breathe

·         Improved immune system (ability to fight off illness)

2.      Reduce risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, weight related cancers

·         Asthma

·         Arthritis

·         Deformity of the lower legs (Blount’s disease)

·         Sleep apnoea (a person temporarily stops breathing during sleep)

·         High blood pressure

·         Fatty liver

·         Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) where cysts form in the ovaries

·         Menstrual (period) problems

·         Insulin resistance meaning that the body becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone that controls the amount of sugar in the blood.

·         Type 2 diabetes

The Best way to lose weight is through lifestyle changes (healthy diet) and exercise. The endocrine Society came out with clinical practice guidelines in 2015 for the use of medications in weight loss. Use of approved weight-loss medications is endorsed for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 and above or at least 27 kg/m2 with one or more comorbidities.  Yet many of the drugs are not being used because not everyone is convinced of the safety of these medications. The newer drugs to the market are bupropion/naltrexone (Contrave, Orexigen Therapeutics) and liraglutide(Saxenda, Novo Nordisk) for weight loss. These new comers join  controlled-release phentermine and topiramate (Qsymia, Vivus), and lorcaserin (Belviq, Arena Pharmaceuticals) and over the counter orlistat (Alli, GlaxoSmithKline).  Another consideration is that weight loss medications are usually not cover by insurances and can be quite expensive.

Is always best to speak to your Primary Care Doctor before embarking in any diet or exercise changes