My Obesity Is Causing Many Health Concerns: Can You Help?

Obesity, clinically defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, brings with it an increased risk of many serious health conditions. The good news is that losing the weight decreases the risks.

At Primecare Family Practice, our board-certified family practitioners Maryline Ongangi, APRN, FNP-C and Lewis Nyantika, APRN, FNP-C are passionate about caring for their patients in the Arlington, Texas, area who are overweight or obese and struggle with losing the pounds. That’s why they offer a medical weight loss program tailored to each individual’s needs. If your obesity is causing health problems, we can help.

Health concerns linked to obesity

Americans are a weighty people, and we’re headed in the wrong direction. According to the CDC, the incidence of obesity rose from 30.5% in 1999-2000 to 42.4% in 2017-2018, and the incidence of severe obesity ballooned from 4.7% to 9.2%.

Obesity is more than just carrying around extra weight. It’s a major risk factor for some of the leading causes of premature yet preventable death:

• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high triglyceride levels
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and breathing problems
• Many types of cancer

It’s also a risk factor for decreased quality of life:

• Osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear joint damage)
• Clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders
• Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning

In addition, obesity puts a strain on both the economy and personal finances, costing the US $147 billion in health care annually, and $1,429 more per individual than for those of “normal” weight in a given year.

What is medical weight loss?

Primecare Family Practice offers a medical weight loss program to help our patients lose weight safely and improve their quality of life. We offer real-world meal plans, tailored exercise programs, and the accountability necessary for you to reach your weight loss goal.

If you’ve tried dieting and exercising without success, when we take your medical history, we look for any hidden variables that might be getting in your way. You could have a hormonal imbalance affecting your metabolism, you may be deficient in a micronutrient, or you may have an underlying medical problem that makes losing weight harder than it needs to be. We also look for psychological factors that might be sabotaging your efforts.

In addition, we have specialized knowledge about nutrition, supplements, and prescription medications that we share with you to help your weight loss journey. And, of course, we get your input about your weight loss and body image goals, drawing up a treatment plan that includes these important factors.

Why our weight loss program is successful

A medically supervised weight loss program takes the guesswork out of dieting and exercising and offers you concrete ideas you can follow to achieve your weight loss goal.

An easy-to-follow plan

We tailor your diet plan to meet your needs, making it easy for you to understand and easy to stick to. You don’t have to give up everything you love, but we’ll show you a healthier way to structure the calories you consume.

A focus on lifestyle changes

A successful treatment plan also takes into account how well you cook and any unhealthy habits you may have developed. Most obese people need to rethink their relationship with food. We provide the structure to help you make healthier choices.

Medications

Medication isn’t for everyone, but some people need appetite suppressants and metabolism boosters to help ease the process. We can prescribe those for you.

An exercise plan that matches your physical abilities

Regular exercise is a key component in helping shed the pounds, but if you have arthritic knees or ankles, high-impact sports are a no-go. With your medical history, though, we also know your physical strengths and limitations; so we can make appropriate recommendations for exercise that will help you lose weight without hurting you in the process.

Accountability and support

With a medical weight loss program, you have a built-in support network that includes oversight, unlike going it solo.

At each appointment, we check your weight and measure your progress toward your short- and long-term goals. If you’ve hit a plateau, we adjust the treatment plan so you keep making progress. And if you’re trying to self-sabotage, we can offer you the emotional encouragement and physical resources to put you back on course.

If you’re obese and concerned about your health, a medical weight loss program can trim your silhouette and lower your risk for serious disease. There’s no time like the present to get started.

Call Primecare Family Practice at 817-873-3710 to schedule a consultation with one of our practitioners, or book online with us today.