Obesity is linked to numerous health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. But can losing weight alone help lower your blood pressure?

The short answer: “Yes, it can,” says Jonathan Reich, M.D., FACS, medical director of bariatric surgery at Southern Ocean Medical Center.

How Can Weight Loss Lower Your Blood Pressure?

“It’s phenomenal how it works,” says Dr. Reich. “Your heart needs to pump blood to all parts of the body. But when someone is obese, the abdominal cavity develops a higher pressure, making it harder for blood to get back to your heart.”

This causes your body to initiate several mechanisms, such as leg swelling and elevated adrenaline, to increase pressure to help the blood transport through the body. When you lose weight, a simple inversing of these events occurs, causing your blood pressure to decrease.

How to Maintain a Healthy Weight

Routinely weighing yourself and checking your blood pressure are two ways to see if you are at a healthy weight. Because not everyone weighs themselves regularly, Dr. Reich offers other signs that you may be heavier than your ideal weight:

• Increased joint pressure and pain
• Sore feet
• Shortness of breath after a flight or two of stairs

“When someone is at a healthy weight, they feel good and function well,” says Dr. Reich. To help maintain a healthy weight, Dr. Reich advises:

• Elevating your heart rate for 30 minutes a day
• Eating a healthy diet
• Avoiding overeating

For some people, it’s not what they eat but how much. An extra 300 calories from a snack equals 2,100 extra calories in a week—more than an entire day’s worth of calories. The effects of these additional calories continue to compound over time, so avoiding that extra afternoon snack pack might make the difference.

When to See a Doctor for Weight Gain

If you have a few extra pounds to lose, start walking daily and keep in mind what you’re eating throughout the day. “Change your routine, and you can change your life,” says Dr. Reich. 

But if you’ve been struggling to lose weight, Dr. Reich advises seeing your physician, who can help you with a comprehensive weight loss program to set you up for success. As Dr. Reich says, “Losing 20 pounds is easier than 100 pounds.” You don’t have to wait to seek help – the sooner you get on a healthy path, the better.

Weight is a critical factor in our overall health and well-being. Many times, if you have high blood pressure, a medication, such as a water pill, is prescribed to combat symptoms, but it doesn’t work to address the root cause. “It’s important to understand the mechanism happening and start the process of balancing dietary intake and activity level,” Dr. Reich says.

Next Steps & Resources:

• Meet our source: Jonathan Reich, M.D.
• To make an appointment with a bariatric surgeon near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website.
• Find out if you’re a candidate for bariatric surgery. 
• Learn more about bariatric surgery at Hackensack Meridian Health.