Am I Overweight?

Here in the United States, we’re getting heavier and heavier. Three-quarters of American adults are overweight or obese, and that means more Americans have an unhealthy body weight than a normal weight.

At Integrative Primary Care in Houston, our experienced providers want you to live a healthy and fulfilling life. And part of the equation to doing that is having a healthy body weight. In this blog, we explain what a healthy weight is and how you can attain it if you carry too many pounds.

Understanding overweight, healthy weight, and obesity

To assess where you should be weight-wise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends seeing where you fall on the body mass index (BMI) chart. Your number is calculated by assessing your weight and height.

While this number doesn’t tell the full story of your health, it’s a good starting point. The BMI chart is based on ranges, and it generally breaks down as follows:

• 0-18.4, underweight
• 18.5 - 24.9, normal
• 25 - 29.9, overweight
• >30, obese
• >40, morbidly obese

While the BMI chart can give you a helpful snapshot to understand what your weight means, it doesn’t consider a number of factors that can be crucial to getting a full picture of how your body weight relates to your health.

For example, it doesn’t consider your gender, bone structure or body frame, cardiovascular indicators, body fat, or age. Therefore, it’s important to discuss your number with a trained provider, such as those at Integrative Primary Care. 

The easiest way to learn your BMI is to use an online calculator, but you can figure out your BMI using this formula: (Your weight in pounds x 703) ÷ (Your height in inches x 2). If you have a BMI of 25 or higher, chances are good you could benefit from losing weight.   

Why what you weigh matters to your health

It can be difficult to understand how a number on a scale can have an impact on your health, but if you’re overweight or obese, studies show that your risk for developing serious health complications increases. In fact, the higher your BMI, the greater your risk for developing a health-related complication becomes.  

Here’s a partial list of some of the many serious health issues associated with being overweight or obese: 

• Stroke
• Metabolic syndrome
• Sleep apnea
• Hypoventilation syndrome
• Coronary artery disease
• Pancreatitis
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Liver disease
• Gallbladder disease
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Abnormal periods
• Most kinds of cancer 
• Osteoarthritis and gout
• Cataracts
• Urinary incontinence
• Mental health disorders

Being overweight or obese has also been linked to infertility in both men and women and to experiencing more serious complications from viral infections, such as COVID-19. The good news is that losing even as little as 5-10% of your overall weight can help reduce your risk and improve your health. 

How we can help you get your weight back on track

At Integrative Primary Care, we understand that weight loss isn’t a one-size-fits-all undertaking. That’s why we personalize your weight-loss plan based on your current and goal weight, family history, diet and exercise history, and any existing diseases or conditions you have.

Some of the tools we may recommend to help you reach your weight-loss goals include:

• Vitamin B12 injections
• Lipo C injections
• Prescription weight-loss medications, such as phentermine
• Using the HcG diet
• Nutritional counseling

Our team helps you create a realistic diet and exercise plan, so you can reach your goal and keep the weight off for the long haul. Your provider is here when you need them for extra support, encouragement, counseling, and medical supervision.  

Are you concerned about your weight? Our team can help you reclaim control of your health. To learn more, call 281-369-8543 or book an appointment online with Integrative Primary Care today.