WHY YOU SHOULD LOSE WEIGHT

Well, we all want to fit into our clothes better, boost our self esteem, be able to climb up and down the stairs and do tasks with ease and obviously be healthy, What better way to do it than to lose weight? Let us look at the risk factors of carrying around a lot of weight,

As we get older, we are susceptible to various ailments, for example; weak joints and arthritis, high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, heart diseases, sleep apnea. These factors are highly magnified if you carry a lot of weight around.

Arthritis

Arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that is the number one cause of disabilities worldwide that affects 60 Million adults and over 400,000 children. The disease damages joints and other organs like the kidneys, liver and heart. Weight plays a big role in this disease as the heavier you are, the more the damage in your body and you will more likely develop osteoarthritis which its effects are irreversible but after weight loss, the disease progression will dramatically reduce and in some instances go on remission. 

High blood sugar levels

This condition is also known as hyperglycemia and is prevalent to people with type 2 diabetes. Having a lot of sugar in the form of glucose in your system for extended periods of time can cause various ailments like damaging the blood vessels, increased heart diseases, can cause strokes, kidney diseases, nerve problems, vision problems... just to mention a few. Your body will release insulin to allow glucose(sugar) to enter your cells so as to be used as energy. Your body regulates the amount of insulin found in your bloodstream. Too much food intake is directly proportional to the amount of insulin found in your blood stream and if your cells already have a lot of stored glucose(energy) that isn't being utilised, then the body turns it into fat. Too much of glucose(sugars) in your bloodstream results in weight gain and most likely to diabetes as the body will not be able to get rid of the high amounts of sugars. High blood sugars go hand in hand with high cholesterol levels as insulin transports the excess glucose to vital organs like the liver, heart and kidneys hence developing diseases like liver steatosis which sometimes leads to liver cirrhosis and even death. For the kidneys, a fatty kidney increases the risk of hypertension and chronic kidney disease. For the heart, you develop diseases like atherosclerosis where fatty plaque deposits in the arteries. This is known as Pericardial fat and most likely leads to heart failures,

High Blood Pressure

This is a condition in which the blood pressure against the artery walls is too high mostly due to fatty plaque build up in the arteries.One of the main causes of high blood pressure, also called hypertension, is being overweight. The heavier you are, the more blood flow is needed to supply your tissues with oxygen hence putting pressure on your arteries which are already thinned by fat deposits. Dangers of hypertension are; constant headaches, nosebleeds, disorientation, cardiac diseases, aneurysms and even silent deaths. 

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is when your breathing stops and starts while you are sleeping. This can lead to serious health problems and even death. Excessive weight creates fat deposits in a person's neck called pharyngeal fat. This fat can block a person's airway when sleeping as the airway is already relaxed. The risks of having sleep apnea are; the person is most likely to develop coronary artery disease, heart attacks, strokes, heart arrhythmia, low blood pressure and heart failure. This is because your organs are not receiving adequate blood oxygen supply hence are not working effectively. Chances you dying in your sleep are very high hence you find people that are obese sleeping with an oxygen mask to force oxygen in their systems.

Weight has a lot of health disadvantages and we all know that with health disadvantages, financial strains come into play. No one wants to spend their money on constant medications and hospital visits, Let's face it! Even the clothes on the plus size sections are pricier as compared to normal sizes. It is great to have normal weight. For self confidence, it helps us feel good in that we can achieve what we set our minds on, Let's lose weight to lead happy, healthier lives.