6 Reasons to Lose Weight (Aside from Looking Better)

Lisa Franchi July 10, 2014

Many people want to lose weight for the sole reason of fitting into their old jeans. But losing weight does more than make you look better (or sexier, if that’s the right word). It is also a big step towards improving your health.

Here are the major benefits of losing weight that has nothing to do with what you see in the mirror:

You brain function will improve.

Scientists have long suspected that weight gain can affect mental health but it was not until recently that this link has been understood. Research by Georgia Regents University in Augusta suggests that obesity weakens the blood-brain barrier, thereby allowing substances manufactured by fat cells to flow to the brain, just as they flow to the heart and other muscles in overweight people. For the study, the scientists gathered mice bred to overeat and grow obese, which, after a few weeks of sitting quietly in their cages and eating at will, the animals had obligingly accomplished. As they grew rotund and accumulated more fat cells, the researchers found, their blood showed increasingly hefty doses of a substance called interleukin 1 that is created by fat cells and known to cause inflammation. Their findings were published in the Journal of Neuroscience. In a 2013 study, Spanish researchers found that obese older adults scored worse on a series of cognitive tests than their healthy-weight peers.

You may feel less pain.

Excess weight puts more stress on your joints and increases inflammation throughout your body, leading to pain. In one study, Wake Forest University researchers found that overweight and obese adults with knee osteoarthritis felt less pain, walked faster and were more mobile after losing 10 per cent of their bodyweight.

You’ll save money.

Losing excess fats can help you save more money, according to a 2010 study from George Washington University. Here, researchers found that being overweight costs women $524 and men $432, and being obese costs $4,879 and $2,646 for women and men, respectively. That’s due to missed work days, low-productivity work days, short-term disability, workers’ compensation and other personal costs caused by weight gain.

You’ll sleep better.

Losing weight can also improve your sleep patterns. In a study presented at the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society in Chicago last June, obese adults who lose at least 5 per cent of their body weight report that they sleep better and longer after six months of weight loss. Findings also suggest that weight loss at 6 months improved sleep quality, as well as mood, regardless of how the individuals lost the weight.

You lower your risk of chronic illness.

Obesity is a major risk factor for a wide range of illnesses, particularly the most debilitating ones – cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnoea and more. Study after study shows that overweight people are more vulnerable to such diseases compared with their normal-weight peers. Obesity is also linked reproductive issues (such as infertility), abnormal blood fats, and gallstones.

You’ll have longer life.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and colleagues have found that class III obesity or a BMI of 40 or over could shorten life expectancy. In this study, they evaluated early death risk in over 9,500 individuals who were classified as extremely obese and 304,000 others who were classified as normal weight. Premature death risk was assessed for both specific cause such as cancer or heart disease and even overall risk. Researchers found that heart disease, cancer and diabetes were the major causes of early death in class III obese people. Participants of BMI of 40-44.9 were more likely to lose around 6 years of their life, while those with BMI of 55-59.9 had a reduction in life expectancy by as much as 13.7 years.

There’s more to losing weight than simply looking good. Hope these facts have increased your motivation to aim for a leaner and fitter body.