Health Benefits Of Weight Loss

For many years society has flashed us with pictures of the "Barbie and Ken" looking type and made us believe that we all should look that way. Not looking like that can have a negative effect on your self-esteem. It is especially difficult for teens. It can cause you to feel badly about how you look and cause you to become depressed. Feeling bad makes you want to eat, so it becomes a vicious cycle.

Though many people struggle with weight loss because of cosmetic reasons, the truth is that maintaining normal weight is more important for health reasons than for the way you look. Here are a few reasons losing weight is good for you:

The Way You Feel
Being at a healthy weight will help you to feel better and increase your energy level. You'll be able to do more without losing breath and just have an overall better outlook.

Long Term Health Problems
Losing weight and staying at a healthy weight can reduce the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Medication Reduction
High blood pressure and diabetes can become worse when you are overweight. Often, when you lose weight your doctor can reduce or even eliminate the medication you're taking for these problems.

Good For Your Sex Drive
Now I have your attention, huh? Studies have found that men overweight by as little as 30 pounds have the testosterone of someone 10 years older. This can cause them to have a reduction in their sex drive. Losing weight can not only increase your drive, it can help you be more sexually satisfied. Since sex is important, especially to the person you're in a relationship with, staying fit will help you and your partner get more out of it.

Reduced Joint Pain
If you have osteoarthritis in your joints, losing weight can help reduce the pain. When you're overweight, the added weight puts a strain on your joints.

Improves Your Self-Esteem
You will begin to feel better about yourself. In addition to being able to shop in the smaller section of the store, you'll love the way you look and even more, the way you feel.

Career Advancement
If you've understood the other benefits and are thinking I've gone too far, trust me, I haven't. Behavior specialists have done research on this topic and have found that when you eat healthy your superiors notice. It gives supervisors the impression of an outcome-driven personality. They notice you and you shouldn't be surprised if a promotion is in your future.

Good For Your Budget
This is obvious…eat less = spend less. You can even begin saving the money you no longer spend on food. It will allow you to reward yourself for your hard work. You might want a vacation or a new wardrobe. Whatever it is you want, the money saved can help you have the funds to get it.

Social Boost
If you're overweight, you often feel like an outcast. Sometimes you actually are one. Often you make yourself one by feeling like you don't "fit in". Other times, and regardless of how politically uncorrect this is, hanging with the "fat person" just isn't the "cool" thing to do. Losing weight will reduce the stigma from both your view and the view of others. You'll participate in more and your social circle will expand.

"I Can, You Can" Influence
Often you become the cheerleader of someone else trying to lose weight. You use the old phrase, "If I can do it, anyone can do it", to encourage and influence others to do the same.

Weight gain, especially in children, can get out of control quickly if the issue isn't addressed. Staying on top of your weight by eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise is the first step to a healthy lifestyle.