Top 5 benefits of 5-10% weight loss in overweight and obese adults

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Has the pandemic affected your weight loss journey? You are not alone!

The UK Government recently announced new measures to battle obesity as a way to protect citizens from COVID-19 . Indeed, being overweight (BMI>25 kg/m²) and obese (BMI> 30 kg/m²) has been associated with a significantly higher risk of infection from COVID-19, morbidity and mortality worldwide .

This whole situation though has been very stressful to all of us and many people’s everyday lives have drastically changed. It has been shown that many of these changes could significantly contribute to gaining weight during quarantine .

If you are on your weight loss journey and you see your progress slowing down due to the current circumstances, you are not alone and your emotions are valid! I am writing this article to make sure you know how valuable is the weight loss you have already achieved and hopefuly inspire you to keep up the great work, even if your progess rate is not “perfect”! The health benefits of mild and moderate weight loss among overweight and obese individuals could be impressive!

No1: Better glycaemic control

• It has been shown that when insulin resistant obese patients lost over 5% of their initial body weight insulin sensitivity of liver cells, fat tissue and muscle cells was significantly increased. Blood glucose and insulin levels were also significantly reduced .
• Among overweight and obese diabetic patients, the LOOK AHEAD study six months after 2-5% weight loss the odds of reducing systolic blood pressure, Hb1AC and triacylglycerol levels significantly increased and weight loss over 5-10% was associated with a significant increase of HDL cholesterol. The significance of the changes were directly correlated to the amount of weight loss .

Reducing triaglycerol levels and increasing HDL cholestererol levels (“the good cholesterol”) could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as well!

Why does this happen?

• The decrease of fatty acid circulation in the liver plays the major role in the beta-cell function improvement. These are the pancreatic cells that produce insulin!
• When we do not consume more dietary fats than we need, the activation of cellular inflammation pathways that cause insulin resistance is reduced.

No 2: Stronger immune system

Overnutrition and excess body fat could activate pathways that cause the production of molecules involved in inflammation by pancreatic, liver, fat and blood vessel cells. As a result, the body could be in a state of chronic low- grade inflammation. Also, obesity has been associated with distortions of the lymphoid tissue structure. Combining these alterations results to an elevated infection risk ().

Long term over 5% weight loss has been shown to decrease levels of inflammatory markers (molecules that indicate inflammation) ^, !

No 3: Improved blood pressure

Hypertension is a strong factor for heart disease and obesity could contibute to hypertension through several mechanisms :

• high waist circumferenceis associate with insulin resistance. In turn, insulin resistance results to arteries becoming more stiff, because the endothelial cells of the blood vessels produce less nitric oxid. Vasodilation is decreased and blood pressure isincreased.
• In presense of insulin resistance, sympathetic nervous system activation could increase blood pressure.
• Fat tissue around blood vessels produce inflammatory molecules that cause constriction of blood vessels.
• Increased fat tissue around your kidneys could cause hypertension.

The LOOK AHEAD study showed that 5-10% weight loss could significantly improve blood pressure control . Also, hypertensive and prehypertensive participants of the PREMIER study that over just 2.4- 5.6 kg could significantly improve blood pressure . Hypertension is a strong factor of cardiovasculat

No 4: Sleep apnoea improvement

Obesity is one of the strongest predictors of obstructive sleep apnoea, since increased fat cells in peripharyngeal fat pads increase tissue pressure and could result to pharyngeal collapsibility during sleep. Also, pro-inflammatory molecules produced from fat tissue possibly reduce neuromuscular control of the upper airways .

• For LOOK AHEAD study participants who suffered from mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea, weight loss over 10kg significantly improved sleep apnoea and improvements persisted after four years, when they had gained back part of the weight .
• Losing 10.6% of body weight has also been associated with significant improvents of sleep apnoea symptoms among overweight and obese individuals .

No 5: Better quality of life!

“Quality of life” can be a very vague term and more studies are required to determine the benefits of weight loss!

The results of the studies below refer to more significant weight loss, but it still worth mentioning what research has to say about this topic!

• Health-related quality of life was improved after significant weight loss for the LOOK AHEAD regarding physical and mental health according to the Physical Component and Bend Depression Inventory (BDI-II) Scores, respectively, a year after the beginning of the study .

• Among 188 obese participants of the University of Michigan weight management program, who had a mean BMI of 40±5 kg/m² initally, decreasing their BMI by 7.0±3.2 kg/m² was associated with improved health- related quality of life .

Please remember that effort always matters. The goal is not perfection, but a healthier and happier YOU.

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