4 Health Concerns Weight Loss Can Help Treat

Losing excess pounds can do plenty more than help you fit into smaller jeans. Healthy weight control can make way for reduced inflammation, improved circulation, and less physical pain — factors that play a significant role in treating common and potentially serious health concerns.

If you’re struggling with weight loss, our team of expert medical providers at Arundel Medical Group, Inc., located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, can help you reach your goal while enjoying the benefits of improved health. 

Take a few moments to learn how shedding excess pounds can help treat four common conditions.

1. Type 2 diabetes

Glucose, or blood sugar, is an essential fuel source for your body and brain. When you have type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t regulate or use it normally. That can lead to numerous problems, including chronic high blood sugar and autoimmune disorders.

If you carry extra weight around your midsection, fat can build around your liver and pancreas, leading to insulin resistance. Losing those pounds allows you to produce and use insulin properly. Meanwhile, a weight control-friendly diet may make it easier to manage your type 2 diabetes. 

2. Wear-and-tear of your joints

Almost everyone experiences wear-and-tear of their joints with increasing age. That process can be accelerated, however, if you’re overweight. For every pound of excess weight you carry, you experience four additional pounds of pressure on your knees.

Slimming down helps ease joint degradation. That means less pain and stiffness over time.

3. Cardiovascular problems

Losing just 10% of your body weight is enough to lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels. These attributes are important, given that high levels of all three are linked with heart disease and life-threatening conditions, like heart attack and stroke.

Losing weight by way of a heart-healthy diet that emphasizes foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish can take those benefits further, given that fiber promotes appetite control and antioxidants guard against inflammation.

4. Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is another significant chronic condition that can be helped by improved weight control. The same amount of weight loss that benefits your heart and arteries — 10-15% if you’re moderately obese — has been shown to reduce the severity of obstructive sleep apnea by 50%.

Losing those excess pounds won’t “cure” the disease, but it can make it a lot more manageable. 

How we can help

Weight loss isn’t easy, but it is doable — especially if you have quality support and guidance. If you’d like to lose weight for better health, our team at Arundel Medical Group, Inc. can create a customized weight loss plan based on your specific needs.

We can also run blood tests to pinpoint or rule out any medical conditions that may be fueling your weight gain. If you have a condition, like hypothyroidism, effective treatment should make weight control easier.  

Depending on factors such as your overall health, you may also benefit from the prescription weight loss medication. 

To learn more about weight loss or to get the support you need, call our office or request an appointment via this website today.