Modest weight reduction improves your health and well-being.

The goal of modest weight reduction is improved health. Even if you do not reach your ideal body weight, losing small amounts of weight can help you reduce the odds of developing medical conditions such as coronary heart disease, hypertension , arthritis, type 2 diabetes , and others. If you already have coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or hypertension, losing weight helps to reduce the damage caused by these conditions.

What the Research Shows

• Studies of obese patients with serious medical complications found that a weight loss of approximately 10% or less resulted in improved glycemic control, reduced blood pressure, and lower cholesterol levels for people with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Even a small amount of weight loss provides health benefits if you are obese.
• The Diabetes Prevention Program and the Finnish Diabetes Program showed that:
• Overweight patients who lost approximately 5% of their body weight reduced their risk for developing type 2 diabetes by 58%.
• Any amount of intentional weight loss in women 40 to 60 years of age who had never smoked can reduce mortality by 20%. Diabetic patients who lose weight can reduce mortality by 30 to 40%.
• Modest weight reduction has been associated with clinically significant improvements in hypertension. 
• A modest weight reduction of five to eight pounds, or 10% of current body weight, can significantly reduce abdominal fat and improve insulin resistance, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia .

Your Doctor Can Attest to the Benefits of Modest Weight Reduction

The benefits of modest weight loss are more than just statistics found in research studies. Your doctor can tell you how losing even a small amount of weight can improve your health by:

• Reducing diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk factors
• Improving conditions such as joint pain associated with osteoarthritis
• Decreasing the occurence of sleep apnea
• Reducing blood glucose levels and lowering Hemoglobin A1C if you have type 2 diabetes
• Improving lipid levels

An Added Benefit: More Money in Your Pocket

There is another benefit to losing weight and improving your health. It can save you money.

• The Centers for Disease Control estimates that a 10% weight loss can reduce an overweight person's lifetime medical costs by an average of $2,200 to $5,300. 
• The lifetime medical costs of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high cholesterol among moderately obese people are estimated to be $10,000 higher than those paid by people who maintain a healthy weight.