Hypertension & Obesity

Are you or someone you love dealing with obesity? It’s important to maintain a healthy weight not just for the sake of confidence and appearance, but also for the benefit of your health. Chances are good that you’ve heard about the many health problems that can occur as a result of excess weight. One complication associated with obesity is hypertension or high blood pressure.

High blood pressure refers to the amount of pressure that the blood applies to the arterial walls. This condition is considered a silent killer because someone could have high blood pressure for years but never even know it. Healthy blood pressure is around 120/80. 

People who have excess weight are at an increased risk of developing hypertension. Obesity is determined by a person’s body mass index and those with a BMI greater than 30 are considered obese. The good news is that just a moderate weight loss causes a drastic drop in blood pressure and can also reduce your risk for heart disease. This drop in blood pressure may be enough to reduce certain medications or even prevent the need for blood pressure medication.

The sooner you take your weight loss into your own hands and start to lose the weight, the sooner you can prevent serious health problems from occurring in the first place. Of course, we also understand that losing weight isn’t easy and you may have so many questions about the best approach. What kind of diet should I follow? How often should I exercise? These are some of the questions that we can address when you turn to our weight loss physician.

The reason so many people fail to lose weight or keep it off is that they don’t actually understand proper nutrition and healthy living. By educating patients on their health, nutrition, and physical activity, they can understand what they should eat, what foods they should avoid and the best strategies for getting regular exercise. Most packaged or prepared meals, as well as many meals that you find at restaurants, are laden with sodium. Consuming too much sodium can have serious effects on someone who has high blood pressure or is at an increased risk of developing hypertension.

This is just one reason we offer medical meals as an option for our patients to help them see rapid weight loss. We will customize your meal plan based on your health, goals, and dietary restrictions (e.g. allergies, vegan, gluten-free). These meals are designed to keep you feeling full while also providing your body with the nutrients and vitamins it needs to stay healthy.