Being overweight not only negatively impacts your health, but it can interfere with the quality of your life in many different ways.
Your career
Studies have found that if you’re a woman who is 13 pounds overweight or more, it can mean losing $9,000 a year in salary. You’re less likely to be promoted and it can also be more difficult to land a coveted job.
Your finances
Not making as much money obviously negatively impacts your finances, which means you might struggle to make ends meet too.
Your mental health
A 2011 study out of Australia found that people carrying excess weight are more likely to be anxious and depressed compared to those who are at a healthy weight. Anxiety and depression can severely affect day-to-day life, making it difficult to go to work or school, enjoy social activities and more.
Your self-esteem
Many people who are overweight have low-self esteem which can cause one to make self-destructive decisions like tolerating mistreatment or even harming ourselves by abusing alcohol using drugs or becoming promiscuous.
Dating
If you’re single, being overweight can also affect your dating life. Dating is often scary enough, but when you add that to the equation, not only can it be more difficult to attract the partner you’re looking for, but you may not be able to participate in fun activities together such as going for a bike ride or a hike together.
Your sex life
Being overweight also affects your libido. According to a study from Duke University, up to 30% of obese people seeking help controlling their weight indicated problems with sex drive, desire, performance, or all three. These issues can be traced to physical conditions that co-exist with obesity.
Men who are overweight are more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction. A 2011 Australian study discovered that losing just 5% to 10% of body weight over a two-month period improved the erectile function, and sex drive, of obese men with diabetes.
Your social life
While it may not be fair, the reality is, people are usually judged by how they look, and some have set ideas about people who are overweight and why they are that way. This means that others may perceive you as being lazy or even greedy, making it difficult to develop friendships. It can also negatively affect your social life if you avoid going out because you don’t like the way you look.
Low energy
If you’re overweight, you’re more likely to tire quickly and lack energy as that extra weight is hard on your joints. You may not be able to spend a day shopping with friends or do all the things that need to get done in a day.
Transforming your lifestyle, rather than going on a temporary diet, by eating nutritious, whole foods including plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein as well as healthy fats from foods like nuts, seeds and coconut oil, along with regular exercise, practicing stress-reduction techniques and getting quality rest, is the best path to achieving and maintaining weight loss – and enjoying a significantly higher quality life too.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/oct/30/women-pay-get-thin-study
http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/01/26/being-overweight-tied-to-anxiety-depression/22889.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16220711
http://www.bupa.com.au/health-and-wellness/health-information/life-stages/mens-health/articles/doc/male-obesity-and-erectile-dysfunction
