Why Do you want to Lose Weight?
Walter Willett, MD, chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health claims that “Next to not smoking, staying lean is probably the most important thing we can do to stay healthy and live longer.”
Obesity is an out of control epidemic that not only causes disease, but also incredible agony for people who feel fat. Being overweight isn’t healthy, which affects the way people look and their self esteem. While none of my friends are obese, a few of them suffer with this constant worry about their weight. However, when you look at their diet, there is always an addiction to sugar or carbohydrates that turn to sugar (bread, pasta, chips…) on some level.
Fat cells create insulin resistance, which is the when the body’s cells become less resistant to insulin. Insulin is the hormone that is released when sugary foods or carbohydrates that turn to sugar such as bread, pasta or potatoes are consumed (the same foods that cause obesity.) When insulin levels are produced too often and the body becomes resistant to it, fatigue, dizziness, mood swings and other issues occur in the short term, and type 2 diabetes long term.
Fat also causes inflammation which stiffens the arteries, the heart and other organs. Inflammation is also one of the primary causes of wrinkles and overall aging. In addition, carrying excess fat raises the risk of high blood pressure, gallstones and some cancers.Studies show again and again that lean people younger than age 75 halve their chances of premature death, compared with people who are overweight.
So while we are all aware of the pressures of staying thin and the torture that many people feel when they are overweight, this is just the beginning of the reasons to stay lean. Keeping a healthy weight prevents disease and will keep us looking good, feeling young and living free for as long as possible.
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