You don't have to slim down to your high school size to reap significant health benefits. Even a small loss, like five percent of your body weight, can significantly reduce the risk for a number of conditions.

A diet that encourages permanent changes in healthy eating and exercise is best for long-term weight loss. Ideally, it should include whole grains, fruits and vegetables and moderate amounts of low-fat dairy, fish and lean meats.

Lowers Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure fat loss diet is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, so losing weight lowers your chances of developing those conditions. All treatment guidelines for hypertension recommend eating a diet low in saturated fats, trans fats and salt and increasing the amount of physical activity you get each day.

Losing weight alone can significantly reduce systolic blood pressure, especially if you're overweight. But adding healthier eating habits like avoiding fatty and sugary foods and beverages and cutting back on caffeine can further improve your numbers.

Eating slowly and taking time to enjoy each meal also helps. That gives your gastrointestinal system time to signal to your brain that you're full before you eat more. If your healthy lifestyle changes don't improve your numbers, a doctor may prescribe medication to treat your high blood pressure. Medications that lower blood pressure include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, Angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers and diuretics.

Lowers Your Risk of Cancer

A large body of research shows that excess body weight raises the risk of at least 13 types of cancer. A recent study published in Obesity, however, found that losing weight through diet and exercise lowers this risk.

Specifically, excess body fat triggers chronic inflammation and high levels of insulin and estrogen, which promote cancer cell growth. In addition, obesity causes chronic inflammatory conditions such as gallstones and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can increase the risk of certain cancers (36).

Although no single food or food group can prevent cancer or cure it, eating an overall healthy diet with plenty of vegetables, whole grains, beans, fruits and low-fat dairy can help reduce your cancer risk. Ideally, focus on eating enough fiber, which is important for a variety of health reasons and helps eliminate the cancer-causing chemicals that build up in your fat cells.

Lowers Your Risk of Sleep Apnea

Obesity is a major risk factor for sleep apnea, which causes breathing to stop repeatedly throughout the night and reduces oxygen levels. The condition can lead to a variety of serious health problems and cause symptoms like loud snoring, fatigue and trouble concentrating.

Obese people also tend to have more fat around the throat and lungs, which can collapse onto their airway and obstruct breathing. That’s why Kimberly Bolling, MD, a sleep medicine specialist in Bowie, recommends that many of her patients lose weight as part of their treatment for sleep apnea.

Researchers have long known that losing weight alleviates the symptoms of sleep apnea, but they didn’t know why until 2019. Now, a study from the University of Pennsylvania has discovered that the reduction in tongue fat is the primary reason for improved sleep apnea. The researchers say that a diet high in fish, fruits and vegetables can help you control your weight and improve your sleep apnea.

Lowers Your Risk of Arthritis

While you can't change your genes or age, keeping a healthy weight helps prevent arthritis by reducing the strain on your joints. Excess weight can exacerbate pain from osteoarthritis (OA), and it increases your risk of getting the condition in the first place.

If you're overweight, every pound you lose can reduce the amount of stress on your knees. And if you're not yet obese, losing just 10 pounds can significantly decrease your risk of developing arthritic symptoms.

A diet low in saturated fat, refined sugar and salt can also improve RA symptoms by decreasing inflammation. You may need to speak to your doctor or a dietitian about which foods you should avoid and include in your diet, and how to best do so.

Having enough calcium can also help with OA, as well as other bone and dental problems, so make sure to consume dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese, nuts, fish with edible bones such as sardines and pilchards and dark green vegetables such as broccoli. You can also get calcium from supplements, but you should talk to your doctor first.

Lowers Your Risk of Heart Disease

When you’re overweight, excess fat can build up in your arteries and block blood flow. This is known as atherosclerosis, and it’s a major risk factor for heart disease. Losing weight reduces your risk of this by lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It can also help you keep your arteries more flexible, so they’re better equipped to deliver oxygen-rich blood to your heart.

The type of fat you consume is important, too. Eating more whole or minimally processed plant foods lowers your intake of saturated fat, which can boost LDL cholesterol and raise triglycerides. It can also improve the balance of your fatty acids and reduce inflammation, which may help prevent cardiovascular problems.

A fat loss diet should include lean meat, fish, eggs and vegetables, while limiting salt, sugar and trans-fatty acids. The American Heart Association recommends adding one serving of whole pulses (rajma, chole or lobhia) and legumes to your meals each week.

Lowers Your Risk of Diabetes

Many people with diabetes don’t realize that losing weight can help them reduce their medications, or even avoid the disease. For those who already have it, lowering their weight can improve blood glucose control and slow the progression of complications like nerve, kidney and heart damage.

One large study found that a combination of diet and exercise (weight loss plus more physical activity) reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 58% for people who were pre-diabetic. The same results were seen across different races and sexes, and after adjusting for changes in both weight and body fat.

Conclusion

The best diets for managing diabetes include a balanced mix of nutrients, and focus on reducing sugar and balancing carbohydrates. For example, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet helps lower blood pressure by limiting sodium, adding more fruits and vegetables, and focusing on lean proteins and whole grains.