As we have stressed before, obesity can have serious health consequences, some obvious, others not so obvious. For example, heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability for both men and women in the United States.

Prevent Heart Disease

Overweight people are more likely to suffer from:

• High blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for both heart disease and stroke.
• Very high blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats). These can also lead to heart disease and are linked to being overweight.
• Angina. Being overweight can also contribute to this problem, which leads to chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart.
• Sudden death from heart disease or stroke without any signs or symptoms.

Reducing your weight by five to ten per cent can decrease your chance of developing heart disease or suffering a stroke. You can improve your heart function and blood pressure and reduce your levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides.

Losing Weight Can Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are associated with long-term complications that threaten life and the quality of life.

If you're overweight, you are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent). You can reduce your chances of getting this disease by losing weight and increasing your physical activity.

Even if you do have this disease, losing weight and getting regular exercise can help you control your blood sugar levels. It may even reduce the amount of medication that you need.

Reduce the Risk of Some Cancers

There are several kinds of cancer associated with being overweight. In women, these include cancer of the uterus, gall-bladder, cervix, ovary, breast and colon.

Overweight men are at greater risk of developing cancer of the colon, rectum and prostate. It isn't clear yet whether the increased risk is due to the extra weight or due to a high-fat, high-calorie diet.

Your best bet to reduce the risk of these weight associated cancers is to lose weight and have regular exercise.

There are other benefits too.

Control Sleep Apnoea

Sleep apnoea is a serious condition associated with being overweight. It can cause you to stop breathing for short periods and to snore heavily. Sleep apnoea can make you sleepy in the daytime and cause heart failure. Losing weight can reduce or eliminate this problem.

Reduce Osteoarthritis

This is a joint disorder that affects the joints in your knees, hips and lower back. Extra weight increases the risk of this disease because there is more pressure on these joints. Weight loss can decrease the stress and reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Get Rid of Gout

Gout is a joint disease caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. This painful disease is more common among those who are overweight, particularly men. It's important to know that some diets (e.g. a high-protein diet) can trigger gout attacks, so if your family has a history of the disease, check with your doctor before trying to lose weight.

Eliminate Gall-bladder Grief

Gall-bladder disease and gall-stones are more common if you are overweight, although it isn't clear yet how being overweight causes gall-bladder problems.

Rapid weight loss can actually increase the chance of developing gall-stones; so remember that the watchwords for weight loss are slow and steady.

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The Benefits of Losing Weight