Health Beat: Lose a little, gain a lot

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Kelly Latreille feels stronger than ever.

Article by Melanie Falcon

“I’m a big yoga fan, and I have found I can do poses I never thought I could,” said Latreille, 51.

But three years ago, Latreille was at her heaviest weight, 152 pounds. While it might not sound too high, it was too much for her five-foot, one-inch frame.

Latreille changed her diet by adding more fruit and vegetables and dropped 20 pounds over eight months, with the help of Weight Watchers. Then, she got another pleasant surprise.

“My blood pressure got a little better. It wasn’t out of control, but my doctor notice a drop in that,” Latreille said.

It was no surprise at all to Dr. Samuel Klein, director at the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and his colleagues.

Klein randomly assigned 40 volunteers without diabetes to maintain weight or lose five, 10 or 15 percent.

“Liver and adipose tissue, or fat tissue, get their best effects within five percent weight loss,” he said.

Among the volunteers who lost just five percent, the function of cells that produce insulin improved, blood pressure improved and trigylcerides were lower.

“If people understand losing a little bit of weight goes a long way to improving their health, then perhaps they’ll really try to lose that little bit of weight,” Klein said.

“I want to stay this size and this weight for the rest of my life,” Latreille said. Klein and his colleagues said they would like to expand the study to include people who already have diabetes to see if their bodies have the same response to a five percent weight loss.

Read more at wfmz.com