How much weight do you actually need to lose? It might be a lot less than you think

How Much Weight Do You Actually Need to Lose? It Might Be a Lot Less Than You Think

Setting a Weight Loss Goal: A Minefield of Misinformation

If you’re one of the one in three Australians whose New Year’s resolution involved losing weight, it’s likely you’re now contemplating what weight-loss goal you should actually be working towards. But type "setting a weight loss goal" into any online search engine and you’ll likely be left with more questions than answers.

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The Flawed Use of BMI

We’re a society fixated on numbers. So it’s no surprise we use measurements and equations to score our weight. The most popular is BMI, a measure of our body weight-to-height ratio. BMI classifies bodies as underweight, normal (healthy) weight, overweight or obese and can be a useful tool for weight and health screening. However, it shouldn’t be used as the single measure of what it means to be a healthy weight when we set our weight-loss goals. This is because it fails to consider two critical factors related to body weight and health – body fat percentage and distribution, and does not account for significant differences in body composition based on gender, ethnicity, and age.

How Losing Weight Benefits Our Health

Losing just 5-10% of our body weight – between 6 and 12kg for someone weighing 120kg – can significantly improve our health in four key ways.

Reducing Cholesterol

Obesity increases the chances of having too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol – also known as bad cholesterol – because carrying excess weight changes how our bodies produce and manage lipoproteins and triglycerides, another fat molecule we use for energy. Research shows improvements in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels are evident with just 5% weight loss.

Lowering Blood Pressure

Excess weight is linked to high blood pressure in several ways, including changing how our sympathetic nervous system, blood vessels, and hormones regulate our blood pressure. Like the improvements in cholesterol, a 5% weight loss improves both systolic blood pressure (the first number in the reading) and diastolic blood pressure (the second number). A meta-analysis of 25 trials on the influence of weight reduction on blood pressure also found every kilogram of weight loss improved blood pressure by one point.

Reducing Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Excess body weight is the primary manageable risk factor for type 2 diabetes, particularly for people carrying a lot of visceral fat around the abdomen (belly fat). Carrying this excess weight can cause fat cells to release pro-inflammatory chemicals that disrupt how our bodies regulate and use the insulin produced by our pancreas, leading to high blood sugar levels. Research shows just 7% weight loss reduces risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%.

Reducing Joint Pain and the Risk of Osteoarthritis

Carrying excess weight can cause our joints to become inflamed and damaged, making us more prone to osteoarthritis. Observational studies show being overweight doubles a person’s risk of developing osteoarthritis, while obesity increases the risk fourfold. Small amounts of weight loss alleviate this stress on our joints. In one study, each kilogram of weight loss resulted in a fourfold decrease in the load exerted on the knee in each step taken during daily activities.

Focus on Long-Term Habits

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight but found the kilos return almost as quickly as they left, you’re not alone. An analysis of 29 long-term weight-loss studies found participants regained more than half of the weight lost within two years. Within five years, they regained more than 80%. When we lose weight, we take our body out of its comfort zone and trigger its survival response. It then counteracts weight loss, triggering several physiological responses to defend our body weight and "survive" starvation. Successfully losing weight long-term comes down to losing weight in small manageable chunks you can sustain, specifically periods of weight loss, followed by periods of weight maintenance, and so on, until you achieve your goal weight, and making gradual changes to your lifestyle to ensure you form habits that last a lifetime.

Conclusion

Setting a goal to reach a healthy weight can feel daunting. But it doesn’t have to be a pre-defined weight according to a "healthy" BMI range. Losing 5-10% of our body weight will result in immediate health benefits. By focusing on long-term habits and making gradual changes to our lifestyle, we can achieve sustainable weight loss and improve our overall health.

FAQs

Q: How much weight do I need to lose to see health benefits?
A: Losing just 5-10% of your body weight can significantly improve your health.

Q: Is BMI a reliable measure of health?
A: No, BMI fails to consider two critical factors related to body weight and health – body fat percentage and distribution, and does not account for significant differences in body composition based on gender, ethnicity, and age.

Q: What are the benefits of losing weight?
A: Losing weight can reduce cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and reduce joint pain and the risk of osteoarthritis.

Q: How can I achieve sustainable weight loss?
A: Focus on losing weight in small manageable chunks you can sustain, specifically periods of weight loss, followed by periods of weight maintenance, and so on, until you achieve your goal weight, and make gradual changes to your lifestyle to ensure you form habits that last a lifetime.