Can you remember how many weight loss ads you’ve seen this month? Probably not. Weight loss advertising and discussions are everywhere right now – especially since many people are headed to the beach. We ourselves have discussed weight loss recently, exploring the psychological factors that affect our dietary choices.

However, our blog post – and the millions of other weight loss articles out there right now – are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this topic. After all, weight loss is about more than looking good in a bathing suit, or hitting a sweet number on the scales in our bathrooms. Weight loss or weight management is an objective for many of the people who walk through our doors. These are great starting goals at our practice. Over time, however, we like to work with our patients by taking their goals to the next logical step: the goal of reaching a healthier state of wellness.

Weight Loss and Wellness: The Benefits

In our line of work, the real benefit of weight loss isn’t just the lower number on a scale. It’s the long term health improvements that are connected to that number. And since the same dietary and exercise habits that produce weight loss produce long-term health benefits, it’s quite a strong connection!

Even modest weight loss, such as 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight, is likely to produce health benefits, especially once combined with strong healthy living habits. That means, depending on the person, losing as little as 10 pounds through an approved diet and exercise routine could create benefits like these:

  • A healthier heart. There are many heart health benefits associated with weight loss and healthy habits. Exercise provides incredible heart health benefits. It strengthens the heart muscle, and reduces our risk of heart disease and other related conditions. And as individuals lose weight, they’re likely to see improvement in their blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
  • Disease prevention. There are a number of illnesses and diseases that weight loss or weight gain can affect. Metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, and numerous cancers are all affected by weight. Overweight individuals are more likely to suffer from these life-changing illnesses. But weight loss, and a healthy weight paired with healthy habits, reduces our risk of developing these health problems.
  • …and more. Bone health, sleep patterns, even our mental health – these things and more are all affected by weight loss and the healthy living habits that impact our waistline. With so many aspects of our physical and psychological health affected by exercise, diet, and waist size, it only makes sense that the Integrative Center for Wellness would take weight loss counseling to the next level – expanding the conversation of short-term weight loss into a long-term wellness goal.

Weight Loss and Wellness: The Journey

Weight loss is a major topic of interest at our practice. However, we believe that at the end of the day, weight is not much more than a number on a scale. Focusing on this number is not the way to live a healthier life. In fact, it can cause us to fail to address other aspects of our wellness needs.

Rather than focusing on a scale, we encourage our patients to set long-term goals and objectives.

Living longer. Having a higher quality of life. Aging without the setbacks of a chronic ailment. And, if illness cannot be prevented, alleviating the effects of a disease through medical supervision and behavior modification.

These are all life-benefiting goals that weight loss and the healthy habits associated with it can address. And they’re all goals we are certified and able to help you address, if you are ready to begin your journey to a healthier you overall.