Losing weight makes shopping for clothes easier, but that's far from the only benefit. In fact, weight loss offers a simple, effective way to improve your health. If you've been struggling with your weight, your primary care physicians, Drs. Joel and Elizabeth Biggers of Biggers Family Medicine in Brandon, FL, can help you find a weight loss strategy to shed those extra pounds.
How Weight Loss Affects Your Body
Losing weight, even if you only take off 10 or 20 pounds, is an easy way to stay healthy and avoid many chronic diseases and conditions. Weight loss offers these advantages for your health:
- Reduced Risk of Diabetes: Diabetes is on the rise in the U.S. In fact, 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with the disease every year, according to the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes increases your risk of kidney disease, vision loss, nerve damage, stroke, and heart attack. Losing weight can help decrease your risk of developing diabetes and may even reverse pre-diabetes.
- Improvements in Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol: High blood pressure and high cholesterol, common factors in heart disease, can be prevented or controlled by maintaining a healthy weight. Carrying excess pounds also stresses your heart and makes it work harder.
- Lower Likelihood of a Stroke: Strokes can affect your ability to speak, think, and move, changing your life forever. Fortunately, losing weight can help you reduce your risk of experiencing a stroke.
- Better Stamina and Endurance: Exercising or even walking your dog around the block can be difficult when you're overweight. Thanks to your weight loss efforts, you'll notice improved stamina and endurance whether you're cleaning the house or competing in a marathon in the Brandon area.
- Less Joint Pain: The more you weigh, the greater the chance that you'll develop arthritis or another joint condition. Losing weight eases pressure on your joints and can help increase mobility and range of motion.
- Lower Risk of Sleep Apnea: Fat doesn't just collect around your abdomen, but it builds up in nearly every part of your body, including your throat. If your throat narrows due to excess fat, you may develop sleep apnea, a condition that causes dangerous breathing pauses while you sleep.
Contact Us Today
Are you ready to lose weight but need a little help? Call Brandon, FL, primary care physicians, Drs. Joel and Elizabeth Biggers of Biggers Family Medicine in Brandon, FL, at (813) 655-4646 to schedule your appointment.