The Physical Benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle and Weight-Loss

It is by now a well established reality that living a healthy lifestyle and being at a healthy bodyweight is conducive to physical and emotional health and wellbeing. This article deals specifically with the beneficial effects of weight loss in regards to physical health and longevity. The emotional benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight will be dealt with in separate article.

Reduced Cholesterol Levels

With a light, healthy pattern of eating and regular physical exercise, your cholesterol level is reduced. In particular, the “good” cholesterol is enhanced while the “bad” cholesterol is reduced. The net result is a much healthier lipid profile and thereby a reduced risk for a wide range of medical conditions. In this way, the need for cholesterol-lowering medications can be reduced or avoided altogether.

Prevention of Adult-Onset Diabetes

One of the most important benefits of healthy eating, exercise and weight-loss is the prevention of adult-onset diabetes. For those who have already been diagnosed with this condition or its precursor, impaired glucose tolerance, the adoption of healthy lifestyle changes and the resulting loss of weight can reduce the severity of the condition and in many cases bring about a return to normal blood glucose levels. The prevention or amelioration of adult-onset diabetes brings with it the reduction of risk of diabetic complications such as heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, visual impairment and renal disease.

Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Large numbers of extensive research studies over a number of decades have clearly shown the relationship between being overweight, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, and rates of cardiovascular disease. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that reduction of weight through regular physical exercise and healthy eating patterns (in particular reduced animal fat and reduced total calorie intake) leads to reduced rates of cardiovascular disease. This includes coronary heart disease, strokes, and peripheral vascular disease.

Increased Fitness

With reduction of weight, in particular with regular physical exercise, there is an increase in levels of physical fitness. Resting heart-rate is reduced, heart-rate recovery after exercise is more rapid, and exercise capacity is increased. These improvements in cardiovascular fitness lead to practical benefits in terms of being able to get around more easily, handle staircases with less difficulty, and cover longer distances with greater ease.

Increased Energy Levels

Carrying additional weight is known to cause feelings of lethargy and lack of energy. People who reduce weight through healthy eating and exercise report increased levels of energy in every day life. Lighter and healthier patterns of eating tend to reduce feelings of lethargy. Engaging in regular physical exercise leads to greater levels of energy. And reducing the physical burden of weight is consistently reported to similarly result in higher levels of energy.

Reduced Risk of Osteoarthritis and other Musculoskeletal Disorders

Obesity results in an undue burden on the joints and on the tissues that support them. Osteoarthritis is exacerbated by excess weight as is the risk of requiring at some point a joint replacement or related procedure. Risk of injury and complication of injury is believed to be greater in overweight individuals. Conversely, reducing weight through healthier eating and regular exercise leads to reduced risk of the above conditions.

Increased Life Expectancy

Obesity is associated with a decreased life expectancy, and the degree of this effect is proportional to the degree of excess carried weight. It is also the case that reducing weight by means of healthy lifestyle changes reverses this effect, resulting in a relative increase in the individual’s life expectancy. Not only is the number of years of expected longevity increased, but the expected quality of life in those years is improved in terms of better health and fitness.

Reduced Risk of Cancer

Current medical opinion is that obesity increases the risk of cancer of the breast (after menopause), the lining of the uterus, the kidney, the large bowel, and the esophagus. Hence reducing weight is associated with a reduction in the degree of risk of these cancers.

Reduced Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases including heart attack and stroke. Weight loss, through the establishment of a healthy lifestyle based on healthy eating and exercise, leads to reduction in blood pressure. Ideally these measures will prevent high blood pressure before it arises. In those individuals already diagnosed with high blood pressure, these lifestyle changes can obviate or reduce the need for medication.