Ten benefits losing half a stone does for your health

Let’s be honest, most of us wish we were a pound lighter. It’s a weight loss goal that seems achievable and will almost certainly lead to a slimmer waist and increased confidence.

But dieticians believe that losing just 7 pounds will also do wonders for our physical health. speaking to The timesDuane Mellor, researcher and professor of nutrition at Aston University School of Medicine, said lose half stone surplus brings immediate benefits to most people.

“There can be a large improvement in metabolic health and joint health and a reduced risk of disease with relatively small amounts of weight loss,” he said. “If you can lose half a stone instead of gain it between forty and sixty, then your longevity prospects skyrocket.”

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Roy Taylor, a professor of medicine and metabolism at the University of Newcastle, said that lower levels of cholesterol and fats in the blood, better sleep patterns and less back pain are some of the benefits of weight loss. modest initial weight. Overweight participants in his studies reported huge improvements in life after losing their first 7 pounds.

“There were improvements in mood and they reported being more mobile and energetic, better able to climb stairs and generally feeling more positive about life,” he added. This is what losing half a stone can do for your health:

you will sleep better

According to the NHS, excess weight is a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, which causes breathing to stop and start while sleeping, most often when people sleep on their backs. It is more common in overweight people when it can be the result of excess fatty tissue accumulating in the tongue and throat area. that blocks the airway when the throat muscles relax. Typical symptoms are nighttime snoring and daytime sleepiness.

“Losing half a stone will help reduce the size of the neck by reducing the volume of fatty tissue, which will mean less snoring,” said Duane Mellor. “Joint alignment will improve, which means sleeping positions will be more comfortable and you’ll be less likely to wake up.”

It will protect your joints

According to the charity Versus Arthritis, being overweight is said to be the “biggest modifiable risk factor” for joint problems such as osteoarthritis and knee, hip and ankle pain. Carrying an additional 7 lbs. of weight can put an additional 30 lbs. of pressure on your knees and other joints in your lower body.

Bill Ribbans, professor of sports medicine at the University of Northampton, said: “You expose your joints to much more load in everyday life if you’re even a few pounds overweight, as activities like stair climbing put pressure equivalent to multiple amounts of the weight of your body through your joints. He explained. “Missing half a stone can mean considerably less force going through your joints every day, which is very protective.”

Your lung function will be better

A 2020 study in the medical journal Thorax followed 3,673 adults for 20 years, measuring body weight and lung function at the beginning, middle, and end of the trial. Nearly two-thirds of the participants gained weight, which led to impaired lung function, no matter how much they weighed to begin with.

Among those who were overweight as young adults, their lung health improved significantly if they lost more than half a pound a year (or just over half a stone). “Weight gain causes increased inflammation in the body, which can negatively influence lung function,” said Professor John Brewer, author of Running Science. Most studies show that controlling or losing weight to a healthy level is important for good lung function.”

Your sex life will improve

Being overweight reduces libido and energy levels, but lose that weight and your sex life could be transformed. A study of women showed that losing even modest amounts of weight led to increased sexual desire, better sexual function, and better levels of arousal.

Similarly, studies in men have shown links between being overweight and erectile dysfunction, and that weight loss can reverse them. “Being overweight can affect testosterone levels, and losing weight can restore the hormone to healthy levels,” said nutritional therapist Ian Marber.

Back pain will ease

Extra weight means extra load on the spinal discs which can lead to back pain. A study of 2,599 Chinese volunteers found that in people with back pain, disc degeneration was associated with elevated BMI, and the researchers suggested that, in addition to the burden of extra weight, extra fat cells might play a role in causing a chronic low level. degree of inflammation of the spine.

“Being even slightly overweight can have a negative impact on metabolic health, which is also associated with higher levels of musculoskeletal pain,” said physical therapist Chris Martey. “Losing a few pounds if you need to is very helpful for your back and joints.”

You will see that running is easier

Researchers first became aware of the impact of carrying extra weight 40 years ago when a University of Georgia study showed that runners who were asked to carry an extra half stone in a harness strapped to their back ran 89 m less in a 12-minute running test, meaning they slowed down by 1.4 seconds per mile for every additional pound they carried.

A more recent study by exercise scientists at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens showed that losing a pound resulted in a 3.1% improvement in a 3000m running test. “Excess body weight in the form of too much fat is extra baggage and runners pay the penalty for carrying an extra half stone or more,” Professor Brewer said. “Not only does it slow them down, it affects how efficiently their bodies can use oxygen, making the activity seem more difficult.”

You will stabilize your body’s blood sugar levels

In most people of a healthy weight, the hormone insulin slows the release of fatty acids into the bloodstream, suppresses glucose production in the liver, and helps muscles use glucose, all of which keep sugar in blood under control. However, excess weight interferes with this process, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

As part of a study conducted by the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the University of East Anglia, those who lost a pound and increased their exercise levels over two years reduced the risk of diabetes by up to 47% for those considered at risk to get the condition.

Your risk of heart disease will be reduced

Being metabolically healthy means you have the right levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference to protect against heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. If you’re overweight, your metabolic health generally declines, but even losing a small amount of weight can help you get back on track.

Data from 7,670 adults in the United States found that obese adults who lost 20% of their weight were 53% less likely to have metabolic syndrome, the umbrella term for a variety of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type diabetes 2. The study also shows that losing just half a stone reduced your risk by 22%.

Your blood pressure will drop

Extra weight increases the workload of the heart and increases blood pressure. By losing weight, you can lower your systolic and diastolic blood pressure and significantly reduce high blood pressure. According to the British Heart Foundation, losing weight is all that most people need to keep their blood pressure down.

You will reduce the risk of some types of cancer

Too much extra weight increases the risk of some cancers, in part because of affected levels of hormones that can help cancers develop. For example, fatty tissue is known to produce excess amounts of estrogen, high levels of which have been linked to an increased risk of breast, ovarian, endometrial and other cancers.

“Elevated insulin levels in overweight people are also associated with an increased risk of certain types of cancer,” said Roy Taylor, professor of medicine and metabolism at Newcastle University. “These include colon, kidney, prostate and endometrial cancers.”

In research conducted by the Harvard TC Chan School of Public Health and the American Cancer Society, researchers analyzed data taken from 10 studies on 180,885 women aged 50 and older, and followed them over a 10-year period. During that time there were 6,930 cases of breast cancer.

Women who lost 10-20lbs (4.5-9kg) of excess weight had a 16% lower risk of breast cancer, and those who lost 9kg or more reduced their risk by more than 26%. But women who lost between 2 kg and 4.5 kg (4.4 lb and 10 lb) also reduced their risk of breast cancer by 13%.