Weight loss is not always healthy: Experts spill the beans on hidden dangers you need to know

Losing weight is often seen as a gateway to better health but new research suggests that for individuals with cardiovascular disease, significant weight fluctuations—whether gain or loss—could pose serious risks. A groundbreaking study by Anglia Ruskin University, published in the BMJ journal Heart, sheds light on how extreme weight changes impact mortality rates in obese individuals with heart conditions. While weight loss is often recommended for those with obesity, this study suggested that rapid or extreme changes in body weight can be harmful, particularly for individuals already diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Researchers believe that drastic weight loss may lead to muscle mass depletion, nutritional deficiencies or metabolic stress, which can negatively impact heart health. Rapid weight loss can deteriorate your heart function Professor Barbara Pierscionek, a co-author of the study, emphasized, “Maintaining a stable weight, even within the obese range, appears to be crucial for reducing mortality risk in heart patients.” Obesity rates have been rising at an alarming rate and in England alone, the percentage of obese individuals has nearly doubled from 15% in 1993 to 29% in 2022, with more than two-thirds of people over 35 considered overweight or obese.