Being obese or overweight carries several health risks, one of the more serious being heart disease. In the United States, around 35% of the adults are considered obese, which means they have a BMI of 30 or higher. If the percentages continue to climb as the population ages, there may be a heart disease epidemic in the next decade and beyond. The team at our weight loss clinic is here to help.

Without a Healthy Heart, There Is No You

Your heart is just a small pump that is roughly the size of a closed fist. Its purpose is to pump oxygenated blood through your circulatory system and into all the cells of your body. Your tissues and cells require oxygen to stay alive, and if your heart stops beating, it won’t be long before you’re no longer here. The heart never stops throughout your lifetime, and beats over 100,000 times every day.

How Obesity Affects Your Heart

The heavier you are, and the more fat you have on your body, the greater the strain on your heart. Obesity forces your heart to pump harder to distribute the blood throughout your body, and it causes your heart to beat faster. It can lower your “HDL” or good cholesterol and raise your “LDL” or bad cholesterol. Statistics say that if you’re obese, you are ten times as likely to develop hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis, as people of a healthy weight. Atherosclerosis can increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes, and fatty deposits in your blood vessels can lead to blood clots.

The Possibility of Sudden Death

A condition known as left ventricular hypertrophy is more prevalent among obese people, and the changes that occur within that left ventricle of the heart can lead to cardiac arrest causing sudden death. If that type of statistic doesn’t motivate you to lose weight, nothing will. The thought of dying all of a sudden without any warning or opportunity to change your situation is frightening, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Losing Weight Can Reverse the Issue

Weight loss can help diminish or even reverse your risk of heart disease, and diminish or eliminate many of the symptoms. When you lose weight, blood can circulate more freely and your heart won’t need to pump as vigorously to oxygenate your cells and tissues. The fatty plaque that is common with obesity won’t be a factor and you can focus on enjoying your life without heart disease holding you back.

If you are looking to get your health back on track contact our weight loss team at Optimal Body today.