Controlling High Blood Pressure: The Role of Weight Management

Controlling High Blood Pressure: The Role of Weight Management

February 6, 2023

Obesity is slowly becoming a global pandemic. Today’s sedentary lifestyle has highly contributed to this pandemic. This is because people barely move their bodies and are eating a lot of junk food. Statistics from the National Institute of Health show that 1 in 3 men and 1 in 4 women are overweight. Obesity takes a toll on people’s health, causing them to suffer from lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and heart disease. That’s why we are discussing the role of weight management in controlling high blood pressure.

Your weight and high blood pressure

As your weight increases, so does your blood pressure. Extra weight means that your heart will have to work extra hard to pump blood. This extra work causes your blood pressure against the blood vessels to be too high. Therefore, if you want to control your blood pressure, you want to keep your weight in check. This will ensure that your heart does not overwork. Being overweight increases your chances of having high blood pressure.

Are you overweight?

Consult your healthcare provider to find out if you are healthy. A healthcare provider will also help you know if you are in the danger zone and what you should do. The BMI and waist circumference are also good measures of obesity.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

The BMI uses your body weight and height to check if you have a healthy weight. You measure your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in square meters. Measuring your height and weight is quite easy.

BMI = Weight in Kg /Height in M^2

What does your BMI say about your weight?

• Less than 18.5 is considered underweight, and you may need to gain some weight.
• 5-24.9 is the healthy range. Eating healthily and keeping active should keep you in the range and keep your blood pressure in check.
• 25-29.9 is considered overweight. Losing weight will help you lower your blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.
  30-35 is considered obese. Losing weight will help improve your overall health.
• Over 35 is considered very obese, and you are in the danger zone. At this stage, you want a doctor’s intervention.

What about your waist circumference and blood pressure?
Your waist circumference influences your blood pressure. Research has shown that carrying too much weight around your waistline can increase your chances of developing high blood pressure. For men, a waist measurement greater than 40 inches is considered too high, while for women, a waist measurement greater than 36 inches can cause blood pressure issues. So, you also want to keep your waistline in check.

What is High Blood Pressure?

A person has high blood pressure when the pressure of the blood against the blood vessels is consistently too high. High blood pressure puts a person at risk of getting a stroke, kidney failure, heart failure, and several other severe diseases. It is called a “silent killer’ because you might not be aware of it, but it slowly damages your body. Normal blood pressure is usually below 130/80 mm Hg, while high blood pressure is usually higher than 140/90 mm Hg. About 1 billion people in the world exhibit relatively high blood pressure. Fifty million people reside here in the US. So, this is a severe problem.

The Relationship Between Weight and Blood Pressure

There is a strong relationship between obesity, blood pressure, and the risk for hypertension. A study found that hypertension is almost twice as prevalent in the obese sexes as in the non-obese sexes. Another study also compared women with BMIs of less than 22 with those above 29 and a 2 to 6-fold greater prevalence of hypertension among the obese.

Several studies over the years have supported the relationship between an increased BMI and high blood pressure. A particular study divided participants of both sexes into BMI quintiles, and they reported increased blood pressure with increased weight. Participants with the highest BMI demonstrated a blood pressure of 16/9 mm Hg higher than those with the lowest quintile. This translates to a 4mm Hg increase for each 4.5kg increase in weight. Another study of younger Canadian adults noted a 5-fold greater incidence of hypertension in people with BMIs of more than 30 compared to those less than 20 for both sexes.

Blood Pressure and Weight Management

Weight loss is one of the most effective ways to control your blood pressure. A study by Neter et al. noticed that losing 1 kg of body weight can lead to a drop of 1mm Hg of blood pressure. A pretty good relationship.
Your level of physical activity also influences your blood pressure levels. Thus, if you are controlling your blood pressure levels, you want to include physical activities in your weight loss regimen.
Diet also contributes to a reduction in blood pressure. Your diet directly impacts your weight, and weight directly impacts your blood pressure. So, you want to be careful about what you eat daily because it can increase or decrease your weight. Enrolling in a weight loss program like our own weight loss program in Kirkland can help keep you in check when it comes to diet.

Final Words

It is no doubt that your weight is directly proportional to your blood pressure levels. It is also true that losing some kgs can help drop your blood pressure levels. Therefore, maintaining weight by engaging in high physical activity and a good diet can significantly regulate your blood pressure. Joining a weight loss program is an excellent way to start managing your weight.

At Eastside Weight Loss Clinic, we help people manage their weight by designing a plan that will help reset their metabolism and lose weight. Our weight loss program focuses solely on your diet because we understand that what you eat significantly impacts your body weight. We have helped many people and have seen many real successes. Join our weight loss program today and take charge of your health!