09/11/2025
《Why You Should Lose Weight》
(Before Your Doctor Does It for You)
Let’s face it — losing weight is on everyone’s to-do list, somewhere between “learn a new language” and “finally organize my closet.”
Yet for most of us, it’s the one goal that gets postponed until our jeans stage a mutiny or the bathroom scale starts sighing audibly.
As a doctor, I’ve seen every excuse in the book. One patient told me, “Doc, I can’t jog. I have a sweet tooth.” I asked him to show me which part of his anatomy that was — he pointed to his mouth. Another proudly said, “I only eat once a day!” I was impressed until he added, “From 8 a.m. to midnight.”
The truth is, carrying excess weight isn’t just about vanity — it’s about vital organs trying to survive under duress. Your knees, for example, are the unsung heroes of your body. Each extra kilogram is like asking them to carry a backpack of bricks up a hill — every day. No wonder they creak louder than your old door hinge.
Your heart, meanwhile, works overtime like a factory worker on double shift, and your pancreas can’t take another complaint letter.
And then there’s sleep apnea — the nightly performance where you stop breathing long enough to scare your spouse into writing your eulogy. Or fatty liver, where your liver turns into a foie gras factory without your consent.
Worse still, being overweight or obese is strongly linked to an increased risk of many cancers. In fact, after smoking, obesity is now the second leading preventable cause of cancer worldwide.
The obesity cancer link is acting via hormonal effects, chronic inflammation, disrupted cell growth regulation, and the fat-linked cancer list is: breast (postmenopausal), endometrium (uterus lining) colon and re**um, esophagus (adenocarcinoma), kidney, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, thyroid, multiple myeloma, meningioma (brain lining), ovaries and stomach etc.
The good news is even modest weight loss (5–10%) can lower hormone levels and inflammation, reducing cancer risk significantly.
Regular physical activity, balanced diet, and maintaining a healthy BMI (18.5–24.9) are powerful preventive steps — more effective than many supplements combined.
But don’t despair. Weight loss doesn’t require living on kangkong or running marathons. Start small: climb stairs, skip sugary drinks, and don’t eat like you’re fueling for hibernation.
One of my patients lost five kilos simply by deciding that “second helpings” were for people at weddings, not weeknight dinners.
And remember — your goal isn’t to look like a celebrity. It’s to feel good enough that your own body doesn’t file a formal protest. The best reward? Waking up lighter, walking easier, and hearing your doctor say, “Whatever you’re doing — keep it up.”
So, lose weight not for the mirror, but for the marvelous machinery that keeps you alive. Besides, nothing feels better than being able to tie your own shoelaces without holding your breath.