If you are overweight, you are not alone. In 2007, 2 out of 3 Americans are overweight or obese. As a society, we are becoming increasingly mindful that decreased activity coupled with increased caloric intake and poor nutrition slowly but inevitably overwhelm our bodies’ ability to maintain a healthy weight.
Being overweight or obese puts you at serious risk for developing many obesity related diseases. That’s the bad news. The good news is that reducing your weight dramatically reduces these same risks. For those patients who suffer from these conditions, weight loss can significantly improve or completely correct these conditions.
Insulin Resistance and Diabetes Mellitus
Obesity leads to insulin resistance, a diminished biological response to the hormone insulin. This resistance is characterized by an elevation of circulating insulin, a diminished ability to store glucose, and a propensity to store fat.
In patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, serum glucose levels improve within days after starting a weight loss program. One study showed that the average fasting blood glucose levels in persons with type 2 diabetes decreased from 290 mg/dL to 110 mg/dL in 3 days in response to a very low calorie diet. Medication (oral agents or insulin) can be greatly reduced or eliminated in such cases. Another study reported that, after a 23-kg weight loss (22% of initial body weight), all patients taking oral agents and 82% of patients taking insulin were able to discontinue medication. Similar results were reported with weight losses of 9.3 kg. In general, patients with a 15% reduction in total body weight may consider stopping oral agents. Smaller decreases in total body weight may even cure “pre-diabetes”, a significant cardiovascular risk.
Hypertension
Hypertension improves with weight loss in overweight persons. In patients following Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD’s), one study reported a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure in 81% of patients and in diastolic pressure in 62% of patients (6). Patients receiving a diet of 800 to 1200 kcal who averaged a weight loss of 10.5 kg showed decreases in both systolic and diastolic pressures of about 20 mm Hg. In about three quarters of these patients, blood pressure returned to normal. Adding an exercise regimen to weight loss led to even greater improvements in blood pressure.
Dyslipidemia
Obesity is often associated with an elevation of serum triglycerides and total cholesterol. The ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol is usually elevated, resulting in an even greater risk of heart attacks and strokes. All of these values generally improve with weight loss. Often, fasting triglyceride levels that may be as high as 1000 to 1500 mg/dL will return to normal levels
Visit this blog in order to know more about effective weight loss!
