Moderate Weight Loss a Benefit

Don't get discouraged if you need to lose weight. Modest amounts of weight loss can have a beneficial impact on your health, according to the nonprofit coalition Partnership for Healthy Weight Management. Losing five to 10 percent of your weight, and keeping it off, can lower your blood pressure and help reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes. If you are 5 feet 6 inches tall, for instance, and weigh 160 pounds, losing five to 10 percent of your weight comes to eight to 16 pounds.