The head-to-toe effects of being overweight

You love the way you look in the mirror when you reach a healthy weight. It feels great to fit into your skinny jeans or slip into a smaller dress size, but the real magic happens on the inside. Here’s what goes on internally when you maintain a healthy weight.

People who maintain a healthy weight are less likely to experience depression or develop Alzheimer’s disease. ¹

Losing 10 pounds over the course of six months can lessen your need for some medications, lower your blood pressure and lead to a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. ²

Losing 7 percent of your excess body weight and exercising 30 minutes a day reduces your risk of developing diabetes by 60 percent. ¹

Having a waist measurement of more than 35 inches for women and more than 40 inches for men has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and premature death. ¹

Each pound of weight you lose reduces the amount of pressure on the knee joint by four pounds. ³

Ditch the weight and save your feet. Those with weight-related diabetes are 15 times more likely to have a foot or leg amputated. ⁴

Overweight or obese? Click here to request a free consultation with a board-certified physician.

1 National Institutes of Health

2 Harvard Health

3 Arthritis Foundation

4 American Diabetes Association