February is American Heart Month! The heart is a very important organ in our bodies, responsible for pumping blood, supplying oxygen and nutrients to our tissues, and removing toxins and waste. However, more than 600,000 Americans die every year when the arteries leading to their heart become clogged. This condition is also known as heart disease, and it’s the most common cause of death for most groups, as it affects people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities.
One of the best things you can do for your heart is to lose excess weight or maintain a healthy weight. With our Right Weight Program, we know we can help you do just that! Weight management is an important aspect of avoiding heart disease, as being overweight can cause issues with cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes.
Weight Loss Can Improve Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol is a waxy substance made by your liver that the body uses to build cells, vitamins, and some hormones. Typically, your liver makes all the cholesterol you need, but foods like meat, poultry, and dairy products also introduce cholesterol into your body. In fact, these same foods are also high in saturated and trans fats, which also cause your liver to produce more cholesterol than it normally would.
Moreover, there are two different kinds of cholesterol: LDL cholesterol, which is typically referred to as “bad” cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol, which is “good.” Too much “bad” or not enough “good” cholesterol increases the likelihood of cholesterol building up in your arteries, contributing to heart disease. Luckily, with proper weight loss management, these levels can be corrected and the risk of developing heart disease can be decreased.
By losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight, a person’s total cholesterol levels tend to decrease. In fact, losing weight causes “bad” cholesterol levels to go down, while also causing “good” cholesterol levels to go up, both of which help decrease a person’s risk of developing heart disease.
High Blood Pressure Makes Your Heart Work Harder
One of the most popular healthy heart tips is to have your blood pressure checked regularly. Blood pressure refers to the force that moves blood through the body, and it’s determined by both the amount of blood your heart is pumping, as well as the amount of resistance in your arteries to blood flow. People with high blood pressure often experience no symptoms, even with dangerously high blood pressure, which can cause heart attack and stroke.
Luckily, blood pressure is very easy to determine and, can be controlled with exercise and weight management. The more a person weighs, the more blood is required to get the body the oxygen and nutrients it needs. This added blood causes increased pressure on the artery walls, leading to higher blood pressure. Plus, people who are inactive tend to have higher resting heart rates, meaning the heart must work harder with each pump, also increasing pressure on artery walls.
By utilizing a fat loss program with fat-burning boosters, like the Right Weight Program, you can lose weight and lessen the stress on your heart and arteries, ultimately lowering your blood pressure and risk of heart disease.
Type 2 Diabetes is Linked to Obesity and Inactivity
Heart disease is more common in people with diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, or adult-onset diabetes, is a disease that deals with the way the body regulates glucose, also known as blood sugar. It deals with two connected issues: the pancreas not producing enough insulin (the hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into cells), and cells responding poorly to said insulin and taking in less sugar, leading to excess sugar in the bloodstream.
The exact cause of type 2 diabetes isn’t known, but what we do know is that being overweight and inactive are contributing factors. Losing excess weight (and keeping it off!) is a good way to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes, and it can also help people already diagnosed with diabetes better manage the disease.
Simply put: losing excess weight and maintaining a healthy weight are the best gifts you can give to your heart. Proper weight management can prevent high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and more, decreasing your risk of heart disease and potentially extending your life.
Stop searching for “weight loss center near me” and visit Right Weight Center or call 301-345-7885. Conveniently located in Camp Springs and Greenbelt, Maryland, the professionals at our weight loss clinics will offer you the tools and support you need on your weight loss journey.
