We usually go on a diet for the simple reason that we feel fat and want to fit back in our favorite pair of jeans.
But here’s something to feed your motivation: going on a weight loss program doesn’t just make you look good. It can even reduce your risk for cancer, and make it easier for you to go through every day routines. Here’s a list of the remarkable benefits of going on a weight loss program. Print it out and tape it on your refrigerator door next time you’re tempted to binge!
Weight loss can improve your memory
Losing weight can make you smarter? Apparently! One Swedish study did brain scans on women aged 70 and above. Those who were overweight, with a Body Mass Index of 25 and above, had smaller temporal lobes and a poor brain cell count., because the extra fat had clogged their arteries and lowered oxygen levels in the brain. The temporal lobe is responsible for attention span and memory.
Other studies show that losing 7% of your weight can reduce artery damage and increase blood flow—making it easier to concentrate, and also easier to breathe.
Weight loss can save you nearly $900 a year
That’s a lot of savings, which you’ll get just from what you would’ve spent on medical expenses. Even just a 5% reduction in weight dramatically lowers your risks for diseases, which would’ve required medication, hospitalization, and doctor’s fees. This figure is arrived at studying the medical costs of women who had lost that amount of weight.
This figure doesn’t include the cost of binging, either. Fat-satured chocolate cakes and super-sized burgers all eat at your wallet too. Healthy meals cooked at home are considerably cheaper.
Losing weight makes you feel stronger
Studies of nearly 10,000 middle-aged women showed that those who had high waist-to-hip ratios (or, in layman’s terms, belly flab) had nearly 60% lower muscle strength. So losing weight will make it easier for you to lift groceries, carry your child, or enjoy your favorite hobbies without feeling fatigued. (Click this to get weight loss tips to fix this problem—crunches that blast belly fat.)
Losing weight lowers your risk for stroke and heart attack
The risk for irregular heartbeats and other heart complications increases by as much as 50% for people who are obese. That’s because obesity causes the atrium (the upper left chamber of the heart) to stretch. This is also one of the most dangerous risk factors for stroke—your risk increases by as much as 400%. (Make the change today! Find simple eating habits that can dramatically lower your heart attack risk.) Get the scary statistics on the rising levels of stroke and heart disease from the Center of Disease Control.
Losing weight lowers your risk for cancer
People who are overweight have higher levels of leptin and estrogen, hormones that can trigger the growth of abnormal cells. Specific studies conducted on almost 22,000 women show that losing weight can lower your risk for breast cancer by as much as 21%.
Losing weight lowers your risk for osteoarthritis
The extra weight can put stress on your nears. Each excess pound can elevate your risk for osteoarthritis by 15%.
Losing weight can increase your fertility
Obesity can often trigger hormonal imbalances that can impair conception and increase risk for miscarriage and other pregnancy complications. Studies done on women going through in vitro fertilization shows that those who were obese were 32% less likely to successfully conceive, and had a 43% chance of miscarriage. (Losing weight isn’t the only step you need to take for a healthy pregnancy. Find out the essential nutrients of a pregnancy diet.)