Over recent months we’ve grown used to seeing drastic weight loss from contestants on The Biggest Loser. However you don’t always need to lose such vast amounts to see the benefits to your health. If you’re overweight, reducing your body weight by just 5-10% can prevent and even reverse a range of health conditions, as members of The Biggest Loser Club prove.
We explore some of the ways your health can win by losing weight.
Lower blood pressure
Being overweight can cause high blood pressure which can increase your chances of developing heart disease, stroke and other serious conditions.
Living testament to how losing weight can lower blood pressure is Second Chance Challenge contestant Craig Debono who now describes himself as, “no longer a stroke waiting to happen.” Craig has lost around 36kg and as a result his blood pressure has lowered and he no longer needs to take one of his anti-hypertensive medications.
Increased mobility
Living in your healthy weight range takes a huge amount of pressure off your bones and joints and also allows you to move about more freely and train faster, stronger and longer.
Starting his weight-loss challenge at 182kg, Jamie Smith has lost an impressive 46kg. A few months into the Second Chance Challenge Jamie reported, “Three months ago I was walking at a turtle-like pace. Now I can do things I couldn’t do before, like running for the bus, running into the surf and running to the shops.”
Breathe easy
Extra body weight pushes against your lungs, making it difficult for them to expand to their fullest, leaving you short of breath during activity and at rest. Getting your body moving with a walking program will take some of the pressure off and help increase your lung capacity so you can breathe easier.
In just the first month of the Second Chance Challenge Chris Byrnes reported, "My breathing is so much better and my recovery and stamina are awesome!".
Do it for diabetes
Being overweight means that your insulin might not work effectively, so by cutting some kilos you could ease this common problem.
Before Sean Holbrook's Biggest Loser triumph in 2008, medical tests showed that his blood glucose levels were sky high so he was prescribed two oral diabetes medications, plus insulin injections. However speaking after his weight loss he says, “I no longer need any diabetes medication and my blood glucose levels are completely normal.”
Love your liver
Liver problems aren’t restricted to heavy drinkers; fatty infiltration can result from poor diet.
Winner of the 2008 Club 11 Challenge Craig Smith had a liver that was infiltrated with fatty deposits before he starting losing weight. After Craig dropped his excess kilos with The Club, he was delighted to report that his liver enzymes normalised, signaling that his liver had been able to repair itself.
Sleep soundly
People who suffer sleep apneoa stop breathing for a short period during their sleep, which is caused by a narrowing in the throat. This is common in overweight men as they tend to gain more fat in the neck area, so losing weight can help.
Former sufferer of sleep apneoa Conrad Makin lost 48.8kg and, as a result, he reveals, "I no longer have to wear a mask to bed and I am off the anti-anxiety tablets. My sleep apneoa has completely gone!"
Boost fertility
For a woman, being too heavy can trigger menstrual irregularities, irregular ovulation and even infertility. However things can sometimes be kick-started again through losing weight, as Second Chance Challenge winner Kate Smith proves.
Weighing-in at 118kg, Kate suffered irregular periods, making conception difficult. Now 34.6kg lighter, Kate reveals, “I was told that my weight was impacting on my fertility. After a weight loss of just 10kg, things got back on track. Hopefully my husband Mark and I will be able to announce an imminent arrival by the end of the year!”