But first, find out what losing weight can do for you. It will:

	Put a stop to scary numbers. "Obese people frequently have abnormal blood-cholesterol levels, higher blood pressure, and even sometimes bigger hearts," says Dr. Gerald Fletcher, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. All of these things are risk factors for heart disease, but losing weight can help you reverse them.
	Do double duty. Overweight and obesity are independently linked to heart disease, too. "Until a few years ago, it was thought to be an indirect link (for example, weight causes cholesterol, cholesterol causes heart disease), but now we know that even if blood pressure and cholesterol are normal, extra weight can mean extra risk for heart disease," says Karen Miller-Kovach, Weight Watchers chief scientist. So when you lose weight, often what you end up getting are double and triple benefits you'll lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and you'll conquer a primary risk factor for heart disease.
	Work over time. You don't have to wait for your weight goal to see a difference in your heart health. "When it comes to heart disease and weight, there's an exponential curve," says Miller-Kovach. "A little bit of extra weight increases your risk for heart disease a little bit, and vice versa." In the same way, a little bit of weight loss decreases your risk a little bit, and vice versa again.
	Add exercise to the equation. As you're losing weight, you're more likely to start exercising, which has bonuses of its own: "Exercise has been recognized as an independent positive factor to heart health," says Miller-Kovach. "We now know that exercise tends to mobilize the fat stores in the abdomen, which are the ones that put you at the greatest risk for heart disease." Plus, says Fletcher, in addition to preserving "good" cholesterol, exercise will help you control your blood pressure, among other things.
	Help no matter what your age "Age factors into [the weight-heart connection] prominently," says Miller-Kovach. "Being slightly obese at a younger age causes a greater increase in risk of heart disease than does being slightly obese and elderly." In other words: It's not just how much weight you have, it's how old you are. So you might reconsider the idea that there's no reason to worry about your heart until you're older.
	And no matter who you are. Weight loss will improve the heart health of both men and women. (Women, take note: After menopause, you're just as likely as a man to suffer from heart disease.) It will also make a difference even if you're African American, Hispanic or Native American, populations that are said to be at a higher risk for blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

"Prevention of obesity by diet and regular physical activity remains the highest priority for maintaining cardiovascular health," reads a 1997 report found in the American Heart Association's Circulation. That about sums it up, but if you're still not convinced, check out the real-live heart renovation stories below. These Meetings members and WeightWatchers.com users have changed their habits and seen their hearts all the better for it.

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