Losing Weight Has Big Health Benefits for Latinos

Share On Social!

More than 1 in 3 Americans are overweight or obese. The problem extends greatly to Latinos as well, where the obesity rate is 77%. Obesity is a huge risk factor for many diseases, including Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Most treatment guidelines recommend that people who are overweight or obese try to lose 5% to 10% of their weight to achieve significant health improvements

A research team from the Washington University School of Medicine, with support from the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders, studied 40 sedentary individuals dealing with obesity. Half were told to maintain their weight and the other half were told to lose 5% of their weight.

People in the weight-loss group consumed a lower calorie diet and 19 achieved the target of 5% weight loss after 3.5 months. They had decreased levels of glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and leptin, all risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.

“Our findings demonstrate that you get the biggest bang for your buck with 5% weight loss,” said Dr. Samuel Klein, lead researcher for the study. “If you weigh 200 pounds, you will be doing yourself a favor if you can lose 10 pounds and keep it off. You don’t have to lose 50 pounds to get important health benefits.”

Read more about the study here.

Share on Twitter: Moderate weight loss carries big health benefits. #SaludAmerica http://goo.gl/XDx7hF @SaludToday