Weight / Fat loss

Aside from the blood pressure, things like "short of breathness" "feeling heavy" and poor sleep can all be drastically improved by improving general fitness/conditioning.

You can both be very fat and extremely fit.

Blood pressure and heart longevity is a more complicated matter though. Some of the fittest people in the world drop dead from heart attacks when in their prime.

Also diabetes isn't as simple as "become thin = no diabetes". I had two uncles both frighteningly skinny, whom both died due to Type II diabetes. A lot of it is genetics, some of it is fatness, but fitness, muscle mass, hormonal balance and insulin sensitivity are all very important factors to consider.

This is all true. However it's also true that being in the obese BMI range (and not being physically fit or active) carries more serious health risks than being in a healthy weight range.

We've all heard stories about 'Uncle Dave' who smoked 40 a day until he was 90 but these people are the exception and not the norm. It's about putting percentages in your favour.

Another example of how my body is currently breathing a sigh of relief for having shed so much weight is the fact that I had been suffering from patches of psoriasis on my elbows and in my scalp. There is a documented correlation between psoriasis and obesity:

http://www.laboratoriosilesia.com/upfiles/sibi/D1007842.pdf

The patches of psoriasis on my elbows and in my hairline that previously would not budge despite all sorts of persuasion and treatments have now almost completely gone.