Weight Management

Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the best ways to avoid weight-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease. But what exactly is a healthy body weight? A measurement based on your height and weight, called your body mass index or BMI, is considered to be a better measure of health risk than just your weight in pounds. In fact, the medical terms “overweight” and “obesity” are based on BMI values. A normal BMI is between 18 and 25, a BMI between 25 and 30 is defined as overweight, and a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. The higher your BMI, the greater your risk of developing a weight-related illness.

Obesity leads to a host of health issues:

• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Coronary artery disease
• Depression
• Gallbladder disease
• Gynecological problems, such as infertility
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Metabolic syndrome
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes

Steps to take

The first thing you should do is talk to a provider. Your provider will help you develop a healthy eating and exercise plan that can help you lose weight, improve your fitness, and decrease the chances of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes. Be sure to set realistic goals. Small changes can make a surprising difference in your health. Your doctor can offer practical suggestions that do not require a complete overhaul of your current way of life.

For some people weight loss medications my help.