Resolve to Lose Weight this Year with Our Help

You’ve tried every diet, and exercised till you’ve dropped from exhaustion, but your weight never drops as much as you do. And what’s worse? It keeps coming back.

At Primecare Family Practice, board-certified family practitioners Maryline Ongangi, APRN, FNP-C and Lewis Nyantika, APRN, FNP-C, understand how hard losing weight can be, especially when you do it yourself. That’s why we offer a medical weight loss program for our patients in Arlington, Texas, who want to shed pounds.

This year make losing weight responsibly your most important resolution.

The problem of obesity

Body mass index (BMI) is a tool related to the amount of fat in the body that screens for overweight or obesity in both adults and children. A high amount of fat can raise the risk of many health problems.

According to data from the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES):

• Nearly 1 in 3 American adults (30.7%) is overweight
• More than 2 in 5 American adults (42.4%) have obesity
• About 1 in 11 American adults (9.2%) have severe obesity

Living with obesity doesn’t necessarily indicate that you’re having or will have adverse health events, but it can nevertheless increase your risk of developing several chronic conditions:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Sleep apnea
• High blood pressure
• Liver disease
• Gallbladder disease
• Certain cancers
• Pregnancy complications
• Depression

Excess body fat strains the bones and organs, causes complex changes in hormones and metabolism, and increases inflammation in your body.

Obesity may also be associated with reduced quality of life, which may have to do with the stigma that still exists surrounding people’s weight.

Medical weight loss

Losing weight is hard work; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. That doesn’t mean, though, that you won’t be able to do it, but fad diets and half-hearted attempts at exercising don’t make for goals achieved.

That’s where Primecare Family Practice comes in. We take a detailed medical history, including previous weight loss attempts, diets you’ve tried, and exercise regimens you’ve endured. Then, we ask you about your weight loss goals, so we can understand where you’re coming from and where you want to go.

We draw up an individualized treatment plan that includes lifestyle changes such as a leaner, healthier diet and exercise routine that meets you where you are and that you’re motivated to stay with over time.

We provide the necessary accountability, too. When you diet alone, there’s no one to remind you that you weren’t going to eat those foods or skip those days of exercise. When you come into the office regularly for check-ups and weigh-ins, we hold you accountable to the goals you set and the level of engagement you promised.

And if that still isn’t enough, some medications can help you drop pounds responsibly. All the rage now are the GLP-1 (glucagon-like-peptide-1) receptor agonists, such as semaglutide. They’re repurposed diabetes drugs that also help you shed the pounds more easily.

GLP-1 mimics the naturally occurring hormone released into the GI tract in response to eating. It prompts the body to produce more insulin, which mops up excess blood glucose that would lead both to diabetes and to extra fat stores. In higher amounts, it interacts with areas of the brain that reduce your appetite and signal your stomach that it’s full.

New Year’s is a great time to resolve to lose unhealthy weight — with our help. To learn more, or to get started, call Primecare Family Practice at 817-873-3710, or book online with us today.