Lose a little, gain a lot

If your attempts to shed weight always fail, you may be aiming too high, says dietitian Juliette Kellow. She believes reassessing our goals could make all the difference to success

After the first lockdown last spring, almost half of us admitted we’d gained weight. The reasons: more snacking, extra alcohol, comfort-eating and a lack of exercise. When 2021 arrived, it made many of us more determined than ever to shed those excess pounds.

Yet despite all our good intentions, it’s likely many of us will already have given up on our new year diet within days or weeks of starting.

So why do we ditch our good intentions so quickly?

One of the main reasons is we have unrealistic expectations. After just a few days of healthy eating and exercising, we think we’ll be able to get back into the skinny jeans that have not fitted for years, or we anticipate jumping on the bathroom scales to discover we’ve lost half a stone overnight.

In short, we set out with hopes of losing a lot of weight in a little time – and when we don’t achieve this, we lose motivation and give up.

But that’s bad news for our health. Being overweight increases our risk of many health problems, the most recent of these being Covid-19.

Last summer, doctors warned that while being too heavy doesn’t mean we’re at greater risk of getting Covid-19, it does make us more likely to become seriously ill and need to go to hospital if we get the virus.

The good news is we don’t need to get down to a size 12, reach the weight we were in our 20s, or slip into the ideal weight range to benefit from weight loss. Health experts agree if we are overweight, losing just small amounts – in the region of five per cent of our body weight – can have big bonuses for our health, ranging from lowering blood pressure and lifting mood to protecting our joints and helping us sleep better.

That means if someone weighs 16st they don’t have to try to lose an intimidating two or three stone.

Instead, aiming for a more achievable 11lb loss would still have a considerable impact on health.

So what are the benefits of losing that magic five per cent?

Lifting mood

Being overweight and depression go hand in hand – and it’s a chicken and egg situation: studies reveal that being obese increases the risk of depression, and that being depressed increases the risk of obesity.

But research shows that losing weight can lift mood and make us feel better about ourselves.

In one study, a five per cent drop in weight was linked to a three per cent increase in mental health and a 10 per cent increase in vitality. Another study found a five per cent loss in weight improved mood – with the effects lasting for up to two years.

‘‘ A 2lb loss for those with pre-diabetes resulted in a 16% drop in disease risk

Less joint strain

Extra weight puts more pressure on weight-bearing joints, and a landmark

study y in 2005 helped identify just how big a problem this is. Researchers in the US found for every 2lbs of extra weight we carry, we put 8.5lbs of pressure on our knees with every step we take. That means losing 11lbs is enough to remove 44lbs of pressure from your knees – great news for anyone suffering with arthritis or joint pain.

Less risk of type-2 diabetes

According to Diabetes UK, being overweight is the biggest hazard for developing type-2 diabetes, which affects just under five million adults. Weighing too much is responsible for 80 getting the condition, so to 85 per cent of someone’s risk of it’s no surprise that even small weight losses are advised. One study found for every 2lbs of weight lost by over weight adults with pre-diabetes, there was a 16 per

cent drop in the chance of them going on to develop the condition. Other studies show weight losses of two to five per cent help lower blood sugar levels and improve long-term blood sugar control in overweight people who have type-2.

A healthier heart

Studies show small weight losses help lower some of the risk factors that make heart disease more likely. Losing five per cent of weight, for example, leads to a drop in triglycerides – which is great news as this type of blood fat, like cholesterol, makes us more likely to suffer with heart attacks and strokes.

Some studies also show weight losses of five to 10 per cent increase good (HDL) cholesterol, the type that

protects us from heart disease.

Lower blood pressure

Many of us know eating less salt helps to bring down blood pressure, but so too can shaping up.

Shifting just two to five per cent of weight has been found to lower systolic blood pressure (the top figure on a blood pressure reading, which measures the force the heart pumps blood around the body). Losing five to 10 per cent of weight also reduces diastolic blood pressure (the bottom figure, which measures blood vessel resistance).

Protect against some cancers

Being overweight is the second biggest cause of cancer (behind smoking) and is linked to 12 different types, including those of the bowel, womb, stomach, oesophagus, pancreas, kidney and liver.

In particular, small weight losses of five per cent seem to offer protection against post-menopausal breast cancer. In one large study, women who lost five per cent of their weight had a 12 per cent lower risk of having breast cancer.

Another large US study found women over the age of

50 who lost two to 10lbs had a 13 per cent lower risk of breast cancer than those whose weight stayed steady over 10 years.

Less incontinence

It’s not commonly talked about, but incontinence is thought to affect four in 10 women and one in 10 men in the UK – and losing a little weight may help.

In one study of overweight women with diabetes, every 2lbs of weight that was lost reduced the chances of incontinence by three per cent. And a weight loss of five to 10 per cent lowered the odds by 47 per cent.

Improving fertility

Being overweight can affect hormones in women that trigger ovulation, resulting in irregular periods and making it harder to get pregnant.

Good news then that weight losses of two to five per cent have been shown to improve ovulation and result in pregnancy. Meanwhile, men who are overweight are more likely to have lower testosterone levels, poorer sperm quality and a greater chance of suffering with erectile dysfunction. While more research is needed to pinpoint how much weight men need to lose to see improvements, any weight loss is likely to be worthwhile.

A better night’s sleep

‘‘ Men who are overweight are more likely to have erectile disfunction

If lack of sleep is a problem, losing five per cent of weight improves slumber, a study showed, with participants getting, on average, an extra 22 minutes of shut-eye each night.

It also helps to stop sleep apnea, where breathing stops and starts while sleeping. That said, effects are most noticeable when more weight is lost.

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