By Siobhan Hicks, MPH
Many of us who have been on this journey of losing weight have various reasons and motivations for wanting to reach our goal weight – whether it be to aid in self-confidence and self-esteem, wanting to look a certain way for an occasion, or even just to live a healthier lifestyle.
There are so many benefits to losing weight, especially as it relates to heart health and enhancing heart function and improving metabolism. Being able to reach and maintain a healthy weight is a great start to improving one’s heart health.
Excess weight can contribute to heart problems.
Heart disease, a general term that describes all issues with the heart and its functions, is a leading cause of death for both African American men and women in the United States (CDC, 2022). As of 2019, African Americans were 30% more likely to die from heart disease than their white counterparts.
African Americans are also more likely to have high blood pressure and less likely to have their blood pressure under control, also compared to their white counterparts (OMH, 2023).
Having excess weight (being overweight or obese) is one factor that can contribute to heart disease. Excess weight increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes – even without those conditions, obesity alone can increase one’s risk of heart failure.
Losing and maintaining a healthy weight, even a conservative amount of at least 5% of your body weight, can lower your risk of developing heart disease.
Weight loss and maintenance can help:
- Reduce the amount of plaque buildup in the arteries that can lead to strokes.
- Reduce the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure that can put you at risk for a stroke or heart attack.
- Keep your blood pressure from getting too high, which could damage the nerves and blood vessels that directly affect your heart
To help you on your journey to preventing heart disease, the CDC recommends that you focus on eating more nutritious foods and lowering your salt intake, make efforts to stop smoking, limit your alcohol intake, and become physically active in order to maintain a healthy weight.
Let's commit to practicing healthy habits that will help us maintain a healthy weight and help to protect our hearts!
**Note: Siobhan Hicks, MPH, (Guest Contributing Writer), Assistant Director, McNair Scholars Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH
Article’s Sources
American Heart Association. (2017). What is cardiovascular disease? Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease
Cardio Metabolic Institute. (2020). How losing weight affects your cardiovascular health. Retrieved from https://www.cminj.com/blog/how-losing-weight-affects-your-cardiovascular-health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Leading causes of death in females, United States. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/women/lcod/index.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Leading causes of death in males, United States. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/women/lcod/index.htm
Office of Minority Health. (2023). Heart disease and African Americans. Retrieved from https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=19
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