Losing weight is often associated with achieving a target weight or improving overall health. While these are valid goals, understanding the specific, sometimes unexpected, benefits can be a powerful motivator for making lasting lifestyle changes. The positive impacts of weight loss extend far beyond the scale, influencing various aspects of physical and mental well-being.
Reduced Risk of Diabetes
Being overweight or obese significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Individuals with a BMI over 35 are 20 times more likely to develop T2D. Excess body fat contributes to inflammation and reduces the body's sensitivity to insulin, a crucial hormone for regulating blood glucose levels. This insulin resistance necessitates the production of more insulin to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of T2D.
Weight loss can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin, making it easier to manage blood glucose levels by reducing inflammation and improving how fat, liver, and muscle tissues respond to insulin. Losing just 5% of your weight can potentially prevent or delay the progression to type 2 diabetes if you have prediabetes. Even for those already living with T2D, any amount of weight loss can enhance insulin sensitivity, potentially reducing the need for diabetes medications. As SaRene Brooks, R.D., a certified diabetes care and education specialist explains, "Once someone taking insulin starts losing weight, their insulin needs go down. Having lower body weight means less fat stores, so your body will be more sensitive to insulin, making it easier to manage blood glucose levels."
Improved Sleep and Energy Levels
A higher BMI is often linked to hypersomnia, or excessive daytime sleepiness. While the exact cause is not fully understood, it is believed to be related to poorer sleep quality caused by excess fat's impact on circulating hormones, altered neuronal signaling pathways in the brain, or breathing difficulties. Obesity can obstruct airways, leading to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a serious condition characterized by gaps in breathing during sleep. Approximately 70% of people with OSA are living with obesity due to fat accumulation in the upper respiratory tract, which narrows airways. Sleep apnea is also associated with insulin resistance, high blood pressure, increased appetite, and depression.
Weight loss significantly improves sleep issues and boosts daytime energy levels. It improves breathing and reduces sleep apnea by alleviating pressure on the airways during the night by reducing fat in your neck, which lets your airways open up more. Furthermore, physical activity, often a component of weight-loss programs, can also enhance sleep quality. This creates a positive feedback loop, as better sleep supports weight loss by decreasing blood sugar, blood pressure, and appetite.
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Lower Blood Pressure
Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for high blood pressure. Several factors contribute to this, including increased sympathetic nervous system activity, which constricts blood vessels and elevates blood pressure. As obesity progresses, excess fat can compress the kidneys, forcing them to work harder to remove waste and extra fluid from the body. This can lead to kidney burnout, where the kidneys are unable to remove enough fluid from the blood, increasing blood volume and raising blood pressure.
Losing weight reduces the burden on the kidneys and lowers inflammation, leading to a decrease in blood pressure. Research indicates that losing just 5% of your weight can normalize your blood pressure.
A Healthier Heart
Research has established a link between higher BMI and elevated levels of troponin, an enzyme in the blood that increases the risk of heart attack. Individuals with a BMI of 35 or higher have the highest levels of troponin and are nine times more likely to develop heart failure compared to those with a healthy BMI and low levels of troponin. According to Ard, "A consequence of excess fat is that lipid levels are high, such as total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. And when those high lipid levels are combined with high inflammation, it creates an environment where artery-clogging plaque can form easily."
Weight loss can reverse these effects. A 2018 Swedish study revealed that individuals who lost weight gradually and maintained a healthy BMI had stronger left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions (the heart's pumping mechanism) compared to participants who remained obese or overweight.
Reduced Risk of Cancer
Excess body weight is a contributing factor to a significant percentage of cancers, with the American Cancer Society reporting that it accounts for approximately 11.9% of cancers in men and 13.1% in women. Excess fat tissue elevates the risk of various cancer types, including endometrial, kidney, liver, thyroid, pancreatic, and breast cancer (in post-menopausal women). Studies have also shown that the risk of death from cancer is significantly higher in individuals with obesity.
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The exact mechanisms linking excess body weight and cancer risk are not fully understood, but insulin resistance, increased estrogen levels, and inflammation resulting from excess fat are believed to play a role. Michelle Cardel, Ph.D., R.D., explains that "Excessive fat tissue can have an impact on inflammation in the body, affecting levels of certain hormones-like insulin, insulin-like growth factor, and sex hormones-which can impact how our body functions.”
Increased Interest in Sex
Overweight and obesity can negatively impact blood flow, hormone levels, and other functions that are crucial for both sex drive and the ability to enjoy sex. Carrying excess body weight can decrease testosterone production, affecting sex drive in both men and women. It also impairs blood flow, which is essential for arousal.
Weight loss has been shown to improve libido and the ability to orgasm. It improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which reduces plaque build-up in blood vessels and improves blood flow throughout the body, including the genitals. This can make it easier for people to achieve and maintain an erection or produce vaginal lubrication, making intercourse more enjoyable.
Less Achy Joints
Overweight and obesity increase the risk of osteoarthritis (OA), a condition where the cartilage around joints wears down, causing pain and limiting movement. For example, every 11 pounds of weight gain increases the risk of knee OA by 36%. The pain is not limited to the knees; it can affect joints throughout the body. Ard explains that "Excess weight on your skeletal frame negatively impacts your physical function. It can increase your risk of injury and damage to the structures of your joints."
Reducing body fat reduces physical stress on the joints and inflammation, which also contributes to OA.
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A Better Mood
Rates of depression are twice as high in people with obesity compared to those considered "healthy weight." This connection is attributed to the stigma and discrimination surrounding obesity and the shared risk factors between the two conditions, such as poor sleep and physical inactivity. Inflammation caused by obesity also increases the risk of depression. A similar relationship exists with anxiety, which is more prevalent in individuals with obesity.
While individuals with clinical depression and anxiety should seek professional help, weight loss can also improve symptoms. Even without a clinical diagnosis, the psychological benefits of weight loss are significant. Research indicates that people who lose 5% of their body weight report feeling generally happier and better about themselves overall.
Other Unexpected Benefits
Beyond these major health improvements, weight loss can lead to a variety of other unexpected benefits, including:
- Improved Taste: Excess weight can dull the sense of taste, potentially due to a loss of taste buds. Weight loss can restore the ability to fully enjoy the flavors of food, which can lead to healthier eating habits.
- Brain Gains: Studies suggest that obesity can negatively impact memory, thinking skills, and overall brain function. Weight loss may improve cognitive function and memory.
- Changes in Body Temperature: Research suggests a connection between higher body mass index and higher body temperature. Weight loss may help regulate body temperature.
- A Shift in Your Body Clock: Fixed meal times can help regulate the internal clock that keeps your body running on a 24-hour day. If you've changed when you eat to help you lose weight, you may also see changes in when you sleep and wake. Studies show that when you eat matters. For example, overweight and obese women may lose more weight when they eat a bigger breakfast and less at dinner even when the total calories for the day are the same.
Potential Downsides to Consider
While the benefits of weight loss are numerous, it's important to be aware of potential downsides:
- Loose and Hanging Skin: Major weight loss can result in excess skin folds or flaps on the belly, thighs, arms, chin, or breasts. This excess skin can be uncomfortable and may require surgical removal.
- Slower Metabolism: Significant reductions in food intake can cause the body to process food more slowly, making it harder to continue losing weight. Regular exercise, including strength training, can help boost metabolism.
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