subject: How to Reverse the Risk of Diseases [print this page] The first several pounds you lose can be significant for delaying the onset or reversing the risks of certain disease. Here is a list of health problems you can avoid if you get started shaking some pounds right now. High Blood Pressure. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is among the top reasons people go to the doctor. Overweight adults are two to three times more likely to be hypertensive. Fortunately, the condition is as sensitive to weight loss as it is to weight gain. Several studies offer evidence that even moderate amounts of weight loss can prevent hypertension and can help hypertensive patients lower their risk for stroke. Weight loss proved to be a more effective short-term treatment management or reduction of salt intake. High Cholesterol. Elevated cholesterol levels are more likely to be present in overweight people. But a number of studies indicate that for most people, moderate weight loss decreases the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the bad kind that clogs your arteries; conversely, it may raise the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the good kind that cleans out your cardiovascular system. Osteoarthritis. Doctors confirm that being even moderately overweight increases the pain of arthritis in weight-bearing joints, especially the hip and knees. Studies also suggest that heavier people are more likely to develop osteoarthritis. Most convincing is research on osteoarthritis of the knee a condition six times more common in overweight people than in lean people, and particularly common in overweight women. Sleep Problems. Obesity takes a toll on your body even when youre resting. Excess fat in the abdomen in particular forces your lungs to work harder while youre sleeping. Fatty tissue in the throat area also decreases the size of your airway when youre lying down. Nighttime breathing difficulties can take the form of snoring. Just a small weight loss, however, could help the 40 percent of adults who have this problem. Diabetes. Millions of people have Type 2 or non-insulin-dependent, diabetes, and most of them are overweight. If you have adult-onset Type 2 diabetes, your blood sugar comes down immediately when you start losing weight. Dont think that you have to lose so much that you dont try at all. In fact, research has shown that a significant improvement in blood-glucose levels can occur with a weight loss of as little as ten pounds.
