Why is Weight Loss Important?

If you are happy with your weight, you belong to the minority of people in the world,
but should be applauded for your positive outlook on your life and your body. However,
weight loss still may be needed. Many people who are overweight say that they are
happy with their bodies, but the fact remains that weight loss in order to achieve a
healthy weight is very important. There are a number of reasons you should consider
weight loss, even if you don’t mind having a few extra pounds.

First a foremost, if you are overweight, you are at risk for a number of diseases.
The main health risk you will probably experience is heart disease, which can lead
to a heart attack. Many heart attacks are deadly. Heart disease develops when you
heart has to work extra hard to pump the blood to the body, which causes it to
become fatigued. This can occur simply because you are overweight, or can be
a result of high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Along with heart disease, having high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels
can also put you at risk for a stroke. Strokes occur when blood, and therefore
oxygen, cannot reach the brain. This can happen due to high cholesterol. When
you have high cholesterol, the fatty deposits build up on your artery walls. If a
piece of this plaque breaks off and travels to the heart, it causes a heart attack,
and traveling to the brain causes a stroke.

Being overweight is also bad for women who wish to become pregnant.
When you’re overweight, the hormones in your body are changing, and if you
don’t get the right nutrients you may find that your body does not produce the
right chemicals for the hormones needed to ovulate or carry a child. Even if you
become pregnant, being overweight puts you at risk for a miscarriage or health
problems with the baby.

Beyond the health world, being overweight can also affect your daily life. You
may find it difficult to purchase clothing in your size or you may find that the
clothing that does come in larger sizes is more expensive. This is simply due
to the manufacturer need more material to make the same article of clothing.
Problems extend beyond shopping when doing things like visiting theme parks,
where you may not be able to ride all of the rides, or using public transportation,
where you may feel crowded in seats made for smaller people. Losing weight,
even if you are currently happy with your own weight, is always a healthy and
smart option, until you reach a normal weight.