9 Unexpected Perks of Losing Weight and Why It’s Worth the Effort

February 6, 2022

by Cathe Friedrich

You might think you have to lose 20 or 30 pounds of weight to reap health benefits, but that’s not the case. Many people know that slimming down will help them live longer, but few realize that even modest weight loss can significantly upgrade their health and wellbeing. Research shows losing 5 to 10 percent of your current weight, even if you don’t reach your ideal body weight, offers health benefits. For example, losing this amount of weight can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. Let’s look at nine powerful perks of losing weight if you’re overweight or obese. Some of them may surprise you!

1) You’ll Have More Stamina

Losing weight makes it easier to keep up with your daily chores and activities – shopping, walking the dog, taking out the trash, cleaning the house, and preparing meals – without feeling fatigued or cranky from being too tired to do it at all. Stamina refers to the time you can walk, jog, or do other activities that require exertion before you become fatigued. Losing weight and being more physically active is the best way to increase your stamina, get more out of life, enjoy it more, and get more done.

2) Your Immune System Will Benefit

Fat cells aren’t just storage depots for extra energy; they’re endocrine glands. Fat cells produce inflammatory substances that damage tissues. Losing weight rebalances your immune system and decreases inflammation. You don’t have to lose massive amounts of weight to get the benefits. One study found shedding only 13 pounds was enough to reduce inflammation-producing cells to a level found in healthy people who aren’t overweight. That’s important for health since inflammation plays a role in most chronic diseases.

3) Food Will Taste Better

You may get more joy from eating your meals after losing weight. Stanford researchers found that people who are overweight or obese have taste buds that are less sensitive than leaner people. Therefore, they may derive less pleasure from eating a meal. Once the weight comes off, taste sensitivity returns, and food becomes more pleasurable again. Learning to eat mindfully by focusing on the sensory aspects of food also makes eating more pleasurable, and you’ll be satisfied with less. Plus, you’ll naturally make healthier food choices and derive more pleasure from them.

4) Less Impact on Your Joints

The more weight you carry on your frame, the more force you place on your joints with each step you take. The stress on your joints is even greater when you climb a flight of stairs. Over time, the burden of carrying that extra weight can trigger or worsen joint pain.

Research shows losing even a modest amount of weight lowers the risk of developing the most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis, and improves knee arthritis symptoms in those who already have it.

Losing approximately 5 percent of body weight has been shown to offer some relief in obese patients with osteoarthritis, several studies reveal that a decrease in body weight of at least 10 percent provides more significant reductions in pain. So, weight loss can help your achy joints.

5) Lower Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Losing weight improves insulin sensitivity, how your cells process glucose. Studies show shedding just 5-10 percent of body weight can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. This benefit is independent of whether you lose weight by dieting or through exercise. With type 2 diabetes being at epidemic levels in Western countries, it’s a benefit more people should take advantage of. Maintaining a healthy body weight is the number one way to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

6) You’ll Get a Self-Esteem Boost

Losing weight can improve your self-esteem and self-image, but to get these benefits, it’s important to lose it in a healthy way by:

Eating nutrient-dense food that tastes good, and does not overly restrict calories
Moving your body more
Eating more mindfully

Stay away from fad diets and unhealthy weight loss practices.

7) You’ll Lower Your Risk of Certain Types of Cancer

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity increases the risk of 13 types of cancer, including cancers of the

• Esophagus.
• Breast (after menopause).
• Kidneys.
• Liver.
• Ovaries.
• Colon and rectum.
• Esophagus.
• Uterus.
• Gallbladder.
• Ovaries.
• Pancreas.
• Stomach.
• Kidneys.
• Liver.
• Ovaries.
• Pancreas.
• Thyroid.
• Meningioma (a type of brain cancer)

Why does obesity boost cancer risk? Having excess fat cells affects hormones, like estrogen, that increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and cancer of the uterus. Plus, fat cells produce inflammatory chemicals that fuel cancer growth.

8) Weight Loss is Healthy for Your Heart

Being overweight or obese increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, because of the effect added body fat has on blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar control. When you lose 10 percent or more of your body weight, you improve how cells process glucose and your blood pressure drops, placing less strain on your heart. Losing weight may also improve your lipid profile.

9) You Get the Satisfaction of Reaching a Goal

Nothing feels better than setting a goal and achieving it. It takes discipline and motivation to do that, but it’s a fantastic feeling when you set out to do something and achieve it. This type of focus and dedication can help you in other parts of your life, too.

The Bottom Line

Now you know what the many benefits are of losing weight. Make sure you do it in a healthy manner through physical activity and by eating a nutrient-dense diet mindfully.

References:

Shea, M.K., et al. The effect of intentional weight loss on all-cause mortality in older adults: results of a randomized controlled weight-loss trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 94 (2011): 839-846.
“Losing Weight | American Heart Association.” .heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/losing-weight.
“Obesity and Cancer | CDC.” .cdc.gov/cancer/obesity/index.htm.
Bliddal H, Leeds AR, Christensen R. Osteoarthritis, obesity, and weight loss: evidence, hypotheses, and horizons – a scoping review. Obes Rev. 2014 Jul;15(7):578-86. doi: 10.1111/obr.12173. Epub 2014 Apr 22. PMID: 24751192; PMCID: PMC4238740.
“Losing Weight Helps Immune System | Live Science.” 22 Apr. 2010, .livescience.com/9877-losing-weight-helps-immune-system.html.
com. “Bariatric surgery linked with increased taste sensitivity”