Weight Loss Will Help With Your Sleep Apnea

If you have sleep apnea and are overweight, make good on your 2012 resolution to lose that weight! It’s not easy, but the facts are in that a significant weight loss of about 20 pounds, and/or about 10 percent of your overall weight, will help you manage and even reduce your sleep apnea issues. According to a study by Sleep Review, controlling your portions and exercising at least 150 minutes a week (about 20 minutes / day) can help you lose weight and can help you with your sleep apnea.

 

ScienceDaily reported on an obesity/sleep apnea study conducted over a year where the 264 participants with sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes between 45 to 75 years old were divided into two groups. One group received a behavioral weight loss program with restricted calorie diets and a structured exercise regimen of 175 minutes per week. The other group only attended three info sessions about diabetes management that year. Which group do you think lost the most weight? You’re right if you guessed the first group that actively dove into their weight loss. With the help of dieticians and trainers, these participants reduced both their waistline and their sleep apnea. The other group reported no great change in their weight or health after the study.

 

While many physicians agree that weight loss is a significant step towards reducing the overall effects of sleep apnea, sleep apnea must still be managed even if the patient does lose a lot of weight—many times this significant fact is not included in these studies. And even if the patient does lose the weight, if they have hypertension, diabetes, or cardiac disease those diseases also need specific treatments. The gold standard treatment after you are diagnosed with sleep apnea and are overweight is to eat right, exercise and manage your sleep apnea every night with a PAP device.

But what if the patient is not compliant with their PAP therapy? This is a tough issue and I would make certain that you work with a supplier that offers tremendous support and lots of mask options. Using a PAP device requires a lifestyle change and working with a supportive community can make all the difference. If you live in the Triangle region of North Carolina come to one of our free support groups, or you can follow us on Twitter during the meetings for more information and support about sleep apnea. If you live outside of this area go to www.sleepapnea.org and find a free sleep apnea support group near your home.

 

Choosing good health may require a significant lifestyle change that takes motivation and desire, as that first study of obese sleep apnea patients demonstrated. But it can be done in a supportive environment! You only have one body and now’s the time to step it up in 2012—you’re worth it many times over.

 

Your Turn:

 

What’s your best tip for significant weight loss?