Research
Energy balance
Intentional weight loss reduces all-cause mortality by 20-25% in women aged 40-64 and lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% in high-risk individuals.
Losing just 5-10% of your body weight can significantly improve your health. This includes lowering your blood pressure, improving cholesterol levels, and reducing your risk of diabetes. Even if you can't reach a 'ideal' weight, any amount of weight loss you can maintain is beneficial.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
A follow-up of women aged 40 – 64 yr in the American Cancer Society study who intentionally lost weight found a significant reduction in all cause mortality of 20 –25%.
Why this rating
Based on large observational studies (Swedish Obesity Study, American Cancer Society study).
Source
Medical Consequences of Obesity
George A. Bray · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2004
DOI 10.1210/jc.2004-0535
narrative_reviewCited 1,539×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a curvilinear manner, with relative risk increasing 40-fold at a BMI of 35 kg/m2 compared to a BMI of 22 kg/m2.Strong
- Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension through mechanisms involving increased visceral fat, insulin resistance, and altered sympathetic nervous system activity.Strong
Related findings · Energy balance
- Achieving a total body weight loss of 10-15% (or >10-15 kg) through Total Diet Replacement (TDR) induces remission of Type 2 Diabetes in individuals with short-duration disease.Strong
- Bariatric surgery is superior to medical management alone for inducing significant long-term weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in mortality for patients with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities.Strong
- Achieving type 2 diabetes remission requires significant weight loss (≥15 kg) via major caloric restriction, independent of macronutrient composition.Strong
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