Lose A Little (weight), Save A Lot (money)

[jeffrey]

For the obese, a small loss may be a big victory. Evidence is building that really heavy people may be able to greatly improve their odds of dodging weight-related illnesses while remaining very heavy.

The secret: Lose just a few pounds. Weight reduction, it appears, is powerful medicine for the large, no matter how seemingly insignificant the dose.

Many obesity experts agree that getting down to a normal size may not be necessary to avoid much of the bad effects of being big. Dropping just 10 or 15 pounds — too little to even miss on many people — can have a surprising and substantial effect on the body processes that obesity disrupts...

Of course, many big people want to slim down so they will look better. But doctors say the best reason for getting control of weight is to be healthier... [read more at usatoday]