About 74% of American adults are carrying excess weight. It’s a common issue, and unfortunately, those extra pounds can do more than simply affect the way you look and feel — being overweight or obese also affects your health.
Excess weight increases your risk of certain medical conditions, but there is good news. Tackling your weight can make a big difference in your overall well-being, and you don’t have to do it alone. Our Endocrine Associates of West Village team offers customized weight loss management to help you achieve better health.
If you’re ready to start making changes, here are five common health issues linked to excess weight and how our weight loss program can help.
Excess weight, particularly if it’s around your midsection, increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. When fat builds up around your organs, it can lead to insulin resistance, which means that your body becomes less effective at using the hormone insulin to manage your blood sugar levels.
Insulin resistance can cause elevated blood sugar, which will eventually lead to diabetes if you don’t control it. Managing your weight through diet, exercise, and medical support can significantly reduce your risk, even if you’ve already been diagnosed with prediabetes.
High blood pressure or hypertension occurs when the force of blood against your artery walls is consistently too high. Being overweight makes your heart work harder to pump blood throughout your body, which increases pressure on your blood vessels.
This condition is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. Losing even a small amount of weight can lower your blood pressure and improve your cardiovascular health.
High cholesterol occurs when cholesterol, a waxy substance, builds up in the blood. Excess weight often contributes to high cholesterol levels, particularly high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol.
High LDL cholesterol contributes to the buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries, narrowing them and making it harder for blood to flow. High cholesterol raises your risk of heart disease and stroke, but weight loss helps reduce LDL cholesterol and increases the beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
Heart disease is one of the most serious consequences of being overweight. Heart disease is a term that includes a range of cardiovascular conditions that affect your heart's structure and function, often resulting from narrowed or blocked blood vessels.
Factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and increased fat deposits can put a lot of stress on your heart, which increases your risk of coronary artery disease or even heart failure. By losing weight, you can decrease your heart’s workload, improve blood flow, and lower your risk of developing life-threatening cardiovascular conditions.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes you to repeatedly stop and start breathing while you sleep due to airway obstruction or brain signal issues. Excess weight is a common cause of obstructive sleep apnea.
Being overweight increases your risk of sleep apnea because fat deposits around your neck and throat can obstruct your airway, making it difficult to breathe at night. Losing weight often improves sleep apnea symptoms, helping you breathe easier and sleep more soundly.
Are you ready to take control of your health and lower your risk of some of the most common avoidable health conditions? Our comprehensive weight loss program can help. We offer personalized plans designed to address the root causes of excess weight so you can achieve lasting success.
We combine the expertise of endocrinologists, dietitians, and personal trainers to create a customized plan and ongoing support to help you safely shed pounds and improve your overall well-being. You start with a comprehensive health check that includes hormone evaluation, and we use your exam results to create your weight loss plan.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for weight loss, and your program will likely include elements like meal planning, exercise, and medications if needed. You come in for regular appointments to check your progress, and we adjust your plan if necessary to help you reach your weight loss goals.
Managing your weight can lower your risk of serious health problems and lead a healthier, more active life. Take the first step by scheduling a consultation with our team today. Call our offices in Brooklyn, Long Island City, and New York, New York, or request your first appointment online now.
