Weight Loss

ACHIEVE YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOALS

At Horizon Wellness Services, in Odenton, MD, we understand that being overweight or obese can have far reaching effects that spill over into every area of your life. For this reason, we are proud to announce that we now offer medically guided weight loss programs to help you lose the extra pounds for good.

What Is Overweight & Obesity?

Body mass index (BMI) is a screening tool for measuring overweight and obesity. A (BMI) of 25 to less than 30 is considered overweight, while a BMI of 30 or higher is categorized as obese. BMI can be calculated by taking a person’s weight in kilograms and dividing it by the square of their height in meters. High BMIs indicate large amounts of body fatness. You can also learn your BMI using your height and weight with this BMI Index Chart

Health Consequences of Overweight & Obesity

Carrying excess weight can lead to health and wellness issues such as the following:

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: This condition results from fat building up in the liver’s cells that can damage the organ and lead to cirrhosis, or scarring. Symptoms often don’t show until damage is done, and this can cause your liver to completely shut down.

Osteoarthritis: Extra weight places more strain on joints and the cartilage that protects your bones, leading to soreness and stiffness. Increased body fat also promotes inflammation.

High cholesterol: High levels can be a clue that you might not be eating as healthily as you should since unhealthy foods raise your weight and LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Type II Diabetes: Overweight and obese typically means increased belly fat. That is linked to insulin resistance, which leads to Type II Diabetes. There is no cure for this type of diabetes, but losing weight can help keep it manageable and prevent complications.

Gout: This condition involves a build up of uric acid in the body that makes joints hurt. The more you weigh, the more likely you are to experience gout, which is also linked to insulin resistance.

High blood pressure: When a person is overweight or obese, their hearts have to work harder to deliver blood throughout the body, putting a strain on their hearts. The increased force pushing against artery walls can damage them, leading to heart disease and stroke.

Hardened arteries: Obesity and all the conditions that co-exist with it wears on arteries, causing them to be thick and stiff. Stiffened arteries have a harder time delivering blood throughout the body. This poor circulation can lead to heart attack, heart failure, or stroke.

Kidney disease: High blood pressure and diabetes are products of overweight and obesity. They also cause kidney disease that makes the kidneys not work as well, leading to dangerous build ups of bodily waste.

Sleep apnea: High BMIs cause obstructive sleep apnea, which is a narrowing of the airway that makes it hard to breathe at night. This can lead to heart problems like atrial fibrillation.

Cancer: Fat cells produce hormones that change how cells grow. This, in turn, can make certain cancers more likely, such as breast, colorectal, endometrial, and kidney.

Decreased mental health: Being overweight or obese is linked to increased depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia.

Benefits of Weight Loss

When you reach a healthy weight, you look and feel better, have more energy and a more positive outlook, and tend to make more healthy choices (the snowball effect). There are more benefits, too, including the following:

Your circulatory system delivers blood more efficiently throughout your body.
The body can manage its fluid levels easier.
You decrease your risk factors for developing diabetes, heart disease, gallstones, cancer, sleep apnea and other breathing issues and osteoarthritis.

Horizon Wellness Services’ Weight Loss Programs

We are proud to announce that we now offer medically guided weight loss programs to help you achieve your ideal weight and overall health goals. We employ various methods, depending on what you would like and what would work best given your situation. We can assist with medication, advise on diet and exercise, and help you understand what healthy lifestyle changes you can make.