You don’t have to slim down to your high school size to get real health benefits. Losing just a few pounds makes a big difference. Five percent of your body weight — 10 pounds for a 200-pound person — can improve all kinds of health problems, and make you feel better, too. Talk to your doctor about whether it might help you.
Ease Up on Joints
Just 10 extra pounds add 40 pounds of pressure on your knees and other lower body joints. That can wear them out quicker. Extra fat can also cause inflammation — when chemicals in your body damage your own tissues over time, including your joints. Losing even a little weight can ease these effects. If you keep it off, you’re much less likely to get arthritis later in life.
Cut Your Chances of Cancer
One study showed that older women who lost at least 5% of their body weight lowered their chances of breast cancer by 12%. There’s no such clear proof that losing weight protects you from other types, but some changes that happen when you shed pounds hint that it might. For example, overweight people who slim down have lower levels of hormones linked to cancer, like estrogens, insulin, and androgens.
Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
If you’re more likely to get the condition, weight loss is one of two ways to prevent or delay it. The other is moderate exercise — 30 minutes on 5 days a week. If you weigh 160 pounds, you could lose just 8-12 of them to get the benefit. If you already have diabetes, losing that weight can help you take less medication, keep control of your blood sugar, and lower the odds that the condition will cause other health problems.
