How Weight Loss Improves Coexisting Diseases From Type 2 Diabetes to Arthritis

With almost three out of four Americans overweight or obese, it's no wonder that weight loss is a hot topic — and it's more than just an issue of appearance. Shedding extra pounds can also make it easier to manage existing health issues.

Our expert clinicians at The Healthy Woman help with weight management, chronic conditions, preventive care, and more through our primary care and OB/GYN services. In this month's blog, we share the health benefits of weight loss when you’re managing a coexisting health condition.

Body mass index (BMI)

The BMI calculator measures weight relative to height and categorizes the results into multiple categories including underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese. This result — along with help from a medical professional — can help you determine where you fall and if losing weight can help improve other health concerns.

How weight loss improves your health

Losing extra weight can help you feel better and can have an impact on a variety of health conditions, from diabetes to heart disease to arthritis.

Type 2 diabetes

With type 2 diabetes, the body can't use insulin properly, which results in sugar building up in the blood. This can cause damage to the kidneys, eyes, heart, and nerves over time.

Shedding just 5% of your weight can help improve your blood sugar. Your body can also use its existing insulin more efficiently, and it may decrease the need for as much medication to manage the condition.

High blood pressure

Carrying extra pounds can increase the risk of high blood pressure, or hypertension. This not only makes your heart work overtime to carry blood through the body, but it can also harm the arteries by making them more rigid. 

Hypertension affects the flow of blood and oxygen, leading to heart disease and an increased chance of a heart attack, heart failure, or stroke. Losing weight can aid in lowering blood pressure.

High cholesterol

Additional weight can also affect cholesterol levels by raising the LDL or "bad" cholesterol and lowering the HDL or "good" cholesterol. Triglycerides can go up as well. 

These changes can play a role in fatty deposits building up in the blood vessels and potentially trapping clots that could cause a heart attack or stroke. Shedding extra pounds can assist in decreasing cholesterol levels.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea affects close to half of people who are obese as fatty deposits can block their upper airways during sleep. This decreases airflow and causes the body to stop breathing numerous times throughout the night. 

Losing weight can help improve this condition, which is linked to a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke.

Arthritis

Carrying extra pounds can cause more strain on the joints, especially the knees and hips. Losing just 1 pound translates to a reduction of 4 pounds of pressure on the knees. Larger weight loss like 10 pounds can relieve the knees of 40 pounds of pressure and decrease both pain and inflammation.

Excellent care when you need it

If you've been struggling with your weight and you’re seeking support for successful weight loss and better health, we can help. Our team develops a personalized treatment program tailored to you and your existing health conditions that may include lifestyle changes as well as medication as warranted.

Call us at 770-809-1100 or request an appointment online today. You can see our primary care team in Atlanta, Lawrenceville, and Newnan, Georgia and our OB/GYN group in Snellville and Lawrenceville, Georgia.