Reasons to Lose Weight

Being overweight is unhealthy in all aspects of life.  Even if you just have a “spare tire,” it could seriously be affecting other aspects of your life, not to mention your health.  By carrying extra weight, you throw your body off kilter, which can lead to inflammation and resistance to insulin.  In turn, these things can lead to diseases and dysfunctions.  Obesity has become something of an epidemic, and the price of your overall health simply is not worth it, so think long and hard about what your extra pudge might be doing to your body. Here are 5 reasons to lose weight right now.

The top reason revolves around the link between added weight and cancer.  By staying lean and fit – that is, within a normal, healthy weight range for your height, age, et cetera – you can drastically reduce your chances of getting six different types of cancers.  Esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer in postmenopausal women, endometrial cancer, and kidney cancer are all a risk for people who are overweight.

As mentioned, being overweight can make your body resistant to insulin, which can take glucose straight out of your bloodstream and into your cells.  This leaves you open to such problems as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and serious pancreatic problems which can cause you to gain still more weight.

The production and release of leptin is significantly affected by being overweight as well.  As you store more and more fat, those cells release leptin, the function of which is to tell your body that it is full and needs to start moving.  Too much can put your body into diet mode, so even if you are not, say, stranded in the desert with limited food and water, you are more likely to sit there eating more – even if you are not really hungry – and remaining inactive.

Actually, the buildup of fat can do a lot of damage.  The fourth reason to lose weight right now is because too many fat tissues can start sending inflammatory factors straight into your bloodstream, which can inflame your blood vessels, creating a state, where wellness and wellbeing is not possible.  That can ultimately lead to atherosclerosis.

Lastly, after a while, fat deposits do not get store just in your waist, hips, belly, thighs, et cetera; they can wind up in your liver and muscles as well, not mentioning the fact that they can eventually start to smother and strangle vital organs.  This can lead to any number of problems, such as liver failure.

Do not worry about your bikini; do not worry about what you look like in shorts.  Worry about keeping your body healthy and happy for as long as possible, because that is going to make you happy too.  Superficial reasons for losing weight are fine and dandy, but when we decide to take that leap and try to lose weight, the best motivation is that we will be making ourselves much healthier.