When it comes to losing weight, changing your life isn’t as difficult as you may think. New research has indicated that even a small weight loss can result in enormous gains and potentially life-saving changes. You can reduce your risk of heart attack, cancer, stroke, dementia, and more – by losing just 10 pounds. At times, the difference between what you weigh and what you want to weigh can seem insurmountable. You’re not alone in your frustration. The average American woman has a BMI of 28, which is overweight – nearly obese. Her waists measures 37 inches, almost 5 inches too wide, and she weighs nearly 165 pounds. In 1960, the average American woman’s weight was 140 pounds. If we continue at this rate, in the next 50 years, your daughter or granddaughter will weigh 190 pounds. America is in need of a lifestyle change. It can be intimidating; however, the benefits of weight loss aren’t reserved for those who drop 30, 50 or 100 pounds. By losing just 10 pounds, you can prevent deadly illness, alleviate daily pain, and improve your quality of life. Are you ready to change your life? Read on to learn all you have to gain from losing just 10 pounds: 1. A Lower Cholesterol Level Being overweight is linked to high levels of LDL, which is the “bad” type of cholesterol. As LDL cholesterol circulates through your blood, it can deposit plaque in your arteries, narrowing them – which can lead to heart attack or stroke. Exercise and a healthy diet will help increase your HDL cholesterol, which is the “good” type of cholesterol that stops LDL from depositing on your artery walls. Ten pounds of weight loss can lower cholesterol by more than 10%. 2. Lower Blood Pressure Blood pressure measures the pressure on your artery walls, so if you have plaque buildup in your arteries, your blood pressure will be high. Hypertension thickens the walls of the heart, leaving them stiff and prone to heart failure. As the heart works harder, blood vessels in the kidneys can be damaged, which can lead to kidney failure. Losing 10 pounds will decrease your blood pressure, protecting your heart and kidneys. 3. Reduced Risk for Heart Attacks Excessive plaque buildup can result in dangerously narrowed arteries. In the case of a heart attack, your coronary artery becomes completely blocked, cutting off the oxygen that your heart muscle needs, with possibly fatal results. As mentioned above, weight loss lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol. Incredibly, just 10 pounds of weight loss can result in a greater than 50% risk reduction for heart attacks.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 22:46:29 +0000
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