People who lost weight on either a low-carbohydrate diet or low-fat diet had improvements in mood, insomnia, pain, weakness, fatigue, and stomach problems accordinng to study from researchers at Duke University.

“This study shows that weight-loss surgery significantly decreases overall mortality as well as the development of new health-related conditions in morbidly obese patients,” concluded a recent study from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

When considering only patients who lose at 5 percent of their body weight by the end of weight loss studies, diet and lifestyle changes cause an average weight loss of less than 11 pounds after 2-4 years; weight loss medications cause an average weight loss of 11 to 22 pounds after 1-2 years; and weight loss surgery causes an average weight loss of 55-165 pounds after 2-4 years according to a new review from researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.

Intentional weight loss due to personal choice is associated with a 41 percent decrease in the risk of death in older men according to a new study from the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London, England.

A 22 pound weight loss reduces blood pressure an average of 6.0 / 4.6 mmHg according to a new study from the University of Aberdeen in Aberdeen, United Kingdom.

Rats that were once obese, but who were put on a diet as adults to lose weight, lived longer than rats that remained obese their entire life, and lived as long as rats that were never obese according to a new study.

A five pound weight loss over 16 years decreases risk factors for coronary heart disease by 48 percent in men and 40 percent in women, whereas a five pound weight gain increases risk factors by 20 percent in men and 37 percent in women according to a recent analysis of the famous Framingham Heart Study.

Previous research found that adult weight gain appears to double the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. New research finds that adult weight loss reduces the risk of breast cancer after the age of 55 by 50-60 percent.

Avoiding weight gain reduces the risk of developing colon cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, endometrial cancer, kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma) and oesophagus cancer (adenocarcinoma).

Lowering your body mass index (BMI) from 30 to 28.5 is estimated to reduce the risk of dying by 7.5 percent. This is a weight loss of roughly 9-10 pounds for a men and women of average height.

“The success of weight loss surgery in treating the complications associated with obesity is most probably related to the reduction of inflammatory mediators,” concludes a paper from researchers at the Obesity and Nutrition Research Center, Department of Surgery, from The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, in Pittsburgh, Penn. 

Losing 5 pounds decreases diastolic pressure by 7 mmHg and losing 10 pounds reduced it by 11.6 mmHg according to a study by McCarron and Reusser (1996).

Here is the American Dietetic Assoication’s position on weight management as of 2002.

A 2.2 pounds weight loss increased life expectancy of a type-2 diabetic by 3 to 4 months, and a 22 pounds weight loss increased life expectancy by 35 percent according to Lean et al (1990).

“Sustained modest weight loss among obese persons would yield substantial health and economic benefits,” concludes Graham A. Colditz, M.D., Dr.P.H. Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. and his colleagues.

Women can reduce their risk of cardiovascular problems by trimming 2-4 inches off their waist a recent study suggests.