Weight Loss Information

Why You Should Burn Body Fat


Are you overweight? Then you probably want to lose some weight. It is obvious that you'll burn body fat by increasing your metabolism. But be sure that what you burn is fat, not muscles.

Some statistics

  • After age 25, the average person in America gains one pound or more a year, which means at the age of 50 an average person is 25 pounds or more heavier than he or she was 25 years ago.
  • As you age your metabolism is slowing down, causing your body to burn less fat.
  • Without exercising regularly, the average American loses a pound of muscle each year.
  • A minority of Americans exercise in a significant way, which means less than 50 minutes of exercise per week. Two out of five Americans do not exercise at all.

Motivations for weight loss

  • Most people's primary motivation for weight loss is to improve their appearance.
  • Other motivational factors are the many health benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Why obesity is dangerous

Reduction of excess body fat plays a vital role in maintaining good health and avoiding disease. Medical evidence shows that obesity poses a significant threat to health as well as to longevity:. Excess body fat is connected to

  • heart disease
  • cancer
  • diabetes
  • gall bladder disease
  • gastro-intestinal disease
  • sexual dysfunction
  • osteoarthritis
  • stroke

Why is excess body fat linked to heart disease?

  • About 4/5's of deaths caused by heart disease and cancer, are linked to life-style factors, inactivity included.
  • Your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the lungs and to the extra fat throughout your body. Therefore it takes more energy for you to breathe. This extra workload might cause your heart to become enlarged and high blood pressure and life-threatening erratic heartbeats might be the consequences.
  • Overweight people often also have high cholesterol levels, making them more likely to develop arteriosclerosis. When blood vessels are so narrow that vital organs like the heart, kidneys or brain don't get enough blood, this becomes life-threatening.
  • It might go without saying, but the narrower the blood vessels become, the harder your heart has to pump, which results in increased blood pressure. High blood pressure itself poses several health risks, like heart attack, stroke and kidney problems.

Does excess body fat cause cancer?

  • In general, research has linked cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens) to excess, actually as a storage place for these.
  • Excess fat has been linked to a higher rate of breast and uterine cancer for women
  • Excess fat has been linked to colon and prostate cancer for men.

How is excess body fat related to diabetes?

  • There is a delicate balance between the relative amount of body fat, the level of blood sugar and the hormone we call insulin.
  • Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and other vital organs, and converted to fat as soon as these organs have got what they need of it.
  • The pancreas of overweight people often produces more and more insulin. The problem is however, that the body is not able to utilize this to regulate it's blood sugar levels.
  • This poor regulation of blood sugar and insulin causes an inbalance in the system, which results in diabetes. This disease may in it's turn cause heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputation, and death.

How Reducing Body Fat Reduces Disease Risk

At an American University, researchers studied a sample of people following a certain weight management program. This study showed

  • decreased HDL cholesterol levels
  • decreased triglyceride levels
  • decreased blood pressure
  • increased waist-to-hip ratio
  • an active lifestyle can slow or stop the disease process for most people, even those with a history of heart disease in the family.

Other studies have shown that programs that includes

  • regular physical activity
  • low-fat diets
  • stress reduction
  • reverse heart disease processes.

while other studies shows that reducing body fat through an active lifestyle and low fat diets mean reduced risk for

  • prostate cancers for men
  • breast and uterine cancers for women
  • non-insulin dependent diabetes for both genders.

So, what shall I do?

You have to change to a new lifestyle, by committing yourself to a long term process that gradually will lead you to a healthier life. This process requires persistence and patience, especially in the beginning. If you stay persistent, your new lifestyle will automatically take over, and it will become natural for you. This process will contain

  • moderate, long term fat loss
  • aerobic exercise
  • strength exercise

Here is the benefits 90 percent of overweight people following this advice has gained:

  • improved heart function
  • improved blood pressure
  • improved glucose tolerance
  • improved cholesterol levels
  • lowering requirements for medication
  • eight times less likely to die from cancer than the unfit
  • 53 percent less likely to die from other diseases than the unfit
  • eight times less likely to die from heart disease than the unfit people.

But, how can I get started?

The first phase in such a process has shown to be the hardest - it is here most people drop out. The longer you stay in the process, the more likely you are to succeed. And trust me; after you - by means of persistency and patience - have passed this critical start phase, the fun and excitement you gradually will experience will make the change well worth the effort.

  • You must make the decision to commit to this lifestyle changing process
  • If you ever feel tempted to skip it for a day or even give up, confront yourself with your commitment, and go on.

How to stay motivated?

Allow plenty of time for the changes. You should give yourself several years for the changes to take place. If you do so, your body will adjust comfortably and the probability of maintaining this healthy lifestyle permanently, will be higher.

About the Author

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet marketer. He runs the website 11-Weight-Loss.net. Terje enjoys to give advice and help people with rapid weight loss with negative calorie food as well as low carb diet.


MORE RESOURCES:

Weight Loss Hypnosis: Lose Weight While Sleeping
CBS 4, FL - 12 hours ago
MIAMI (CBS4) ― Snooze and loose: that's right! There is a way to lose weight while you sleep and now, people say it's taking all the work out of dieting. ...


Weight Loss
TheStorygroup.com, GA - 6 hours ago
Try Our Wide Selection of Weight Loss Programs, Diet Pills or Fat Burner Plans Now! Don't underestimate low level of depression. ...


PEERtrainer Launches 'Tip Of The Day' Weight Loss Coaching Newsletter
PR Web (press release), WA - 9 hours ago
Subjects covered include weight loss, nutrition, fitness, preventive health and motivation. New York, New York (PRWEB) November 22, 2008 -- PEERtrainer has ...


Current World News

Weight-loss surgery bodes well for pregnancy
Los Angeles Times, CA - Nov 19, 2008
Now researchers have found that obese women who undergo weight-loss surgery before becoming pregnant are less likely to have pregnancy-related health ...
Weight-loss surgery helps with pregnancy: study Reuters
Some Pregnancy-Related Complications Minimized for Women Who Have ... MarketWatch
Go for pre-pregnancy weight loss surgery Times of India
TheMedGuru - U.S. News & World Report
all 58 news articles


LA Weight Loss Announces Closing of Eau Claire Facility
WQOW TV News 18, Eau Claire - 23 hours ago
LA Weight Loss just announced its closing in Eau Claire next Wednesday. When News 18 contacted the corporate offices, they sent us this statement: "We wish ...


Weight Loss Blog: Getting Started
TheDenverChannel.com, CO - Nov 20, 2008
I keep hearing Oprah Winfrey in my head saying if there was a magic pill to weight loss, she'd have it. If the woman who can afford personal trainers and ...


Weight loss can cause excess, flabby skin
Tulsa World, OK - Nov 21, 2008
Dear Reader: First, I would like to congratulate your granddaughter on her astonishing weight loss. Skin is very stretchy and often reshapes as weight is ...


Weight Loss in Progress
ireport - 16 hours ago
I have slowed the weight loss down, but have lost 60 lbs since the 3rd week of June. My goal: To lose a total of 120 lbs to get to my ideal weight, ...


Weight Loss Surgery Helps Obese Women Have Healthier Babies
New York Times, United States - Nov 19, 2008
By RONI CARYN RABIN Women who become pregnant after weight-loss surgery have easier pregnancies and healthier babies than do obese women who become pregnant ...


That Happened!

Weight-loss surgery bodes well for pregnancy
That Happened!, New York - Nov 20, 2008
New York - Researchers have found that weight-loss surgery bodes well for pregnancy. They found that women who had weight loss surgery before becoming ...

Weight-Loss - Google News

home | site map
© 2006