By Lois Bauman RN
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – All Saints | Posted: Saturday, May 16, 2009 12:00 am
It may be hard to believe, but it is finally right around the corner. That's right, summer is almost upon us. It's been a long frigid winter, causing us to bundle up in multiple layers in an effort to save on those escalating heating bills. As promised, salvation is near. Plants are blooming and it's time to shed our layers. Suddenly, that thought pops into your head, "the dreaded swimsuit season." This is definitely time of increased motivation! Besides the obvious bonus, (not groaning as you look in the three-way mirror when trying on your next suit) there are numerous benefits of maintaining a
healthy weight.
First of all, a healthy weight is achieved by following a heart healthy diet and regular exercise. Just to clarify, a heart healthy diet is not the same as dieting! Once you embrace this healthier lifestyle, you can significantly reduce your health risks. Just by making small changes: replacing water for soda, controlling your portions, limiting salt and walking 10 minutes a day can make quite an impact.
Let's start with the top two "Twin Killers," heart disease and stroke. These are the leading causes for death and disability for men and women in the United States. Losing weight can decrease blood pressure, drop cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats), and improve
heart function.
That is just the tip of the iceberg. Those who are overweight are twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. This disease makes it hard for your body to break down food into energy. Type 2 diabetes can occur at any age making it difficult for your body to utilize glucose. Weight loss and "bumping up" your physical activity can help control your blood sugar and possibly reduce the amount of medication you're taking.
Every year 200,000 Americans die from cancers related to poor diet alone.
Amazingly enough, certain types of cancer are decreased by maintaining the appropriate weight. These include: breast, colon, prostate, uterine, ovarian, cervical, gall bladder and kidney.
Do you know someone plagued with sleep apnea? (Maybe that someone is you.) This is when you stop breathing for short periods of time while you sleep. There have been marked improvements in the treatment of sleep apnea and other exercise related breathing problems just by supporting a healthy weight.
As you may have anticipated, medical problems such as arthritis and osteoporosis are positively affected through weight reduction. If you have less body mass there is less pressure on your joints, resulting in less pain. If you are physically active, any weight bearing exercise (not swimming or biking) helps build bone strength thus decreasing your probability for osteoporosis.
With so many benefits associated with healthy weight control one can't help but get excited about it. You'll have more energy, increased endurance, better muscle tone, enhanced mobility, improved digestion and increased life expectancy.
The last area I will address that gets such an incredible boost from sustaining a healthy weight is our psychological well-being. There are huge strides in the areas of depression, anxiety, stress management, self-esteem, self confidence, relaxation and sleep.
Just remember, the more you take care of your body, the longer your body will take care of you. The next time you look in that three-way mirror you just might say "I can deal with that!"
Lois Bauman is a Registered Nurse and Certified Wellness Coach at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - All Saints.