This article is part ofHealth Divide: Heart Disease Risk Factors, a destination in our Health Divide series.
Xiaoyu Liu / Verywell
Meet the ExpertJessica Shepherd, MD, MBA, FACOG, is a board-certified OB-GYN and the former Chief Medical Officer for Verywell Health. She is the founder and CEO of Sanctum Med + Wellness, a wellness concierge practice, and is affiliated with Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.
Meet the Expert
Jessica Shepherd, MD, MBA, FACOG, is a board-certified OB-GYN and the former Chief Medical Officer for Verywell Health. She is the founder and CEO of Sanctum Med + Wellness, a wellness concierge practice, and is affiliated with Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.
Verywell Health: Will losing weight lower my heart disease risk?
Dr. Shepherd: Health behaviors and interventions are unique to different groups, including different races and genders. Therefore, we have to be sensitive to the fact that lifestyle factors and access to a certain heart-healthy lifestyle is not the same for everyone.
The attitude towardsheart diseaserequires careful development and dissemination of information. This influences how people perceive their disease risk and their knowledge of risk factors that contribute to heart disease. What is most important for people to understand is how they can play an active part in determining their risk.
Foods That Are Good for Your Heart
Science tells us that certain foods can lead to heart disease, including:
All of these foods are commonly eaten in communities with socioeconomic disparities because of their low cost, availability, and convenience.
We need a foundational change that addresses racism in health care and focuses on improving access to healthier food options in these communities. This will not only affect obesity, butstresslevels as well.
So, if you’ve been told that you are at risk for heart disease and need to lose weight, that is true. Losing weightwillreduce your risk.But this is often easier said than done given all these factors and the context of your lifestyle. We need to focus on realistic and culturally sensitive ways to address heart disease prevention.
The Connection Between Heart Disease, Obesity, and Weight Loss
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Anand SS, Hawkes C, de Souza RJ, et al.Food consumption and its impact on cardiovascular disease: importance of solutions focused on the globalized food system.J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66(14):1590-1614. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.07.050American Heart Association.Lose weight and lower heart disease risk.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Anand SS, Hawkes C, de Souza RJ, et al.Food consumption and its impact on cardiovascular disease: importance of solutions focused on the globalized food system.J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66(14):1590-1614. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.07.050American Heart Association.Lose weight and lower heart disease risk.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Anand SS, Hawkes C, de Souza RJ, et al.Food consumption and its impact on cardiovascular disease: importance of solutions focused on the globalized food system.J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66(14):1590-1614. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.07.050American Heart Association.Lose weight and lower heart disease risk.
Anand SS, Hawkes C, de Souza RJ, et al.Food consumption and its impact on cardiovascular disease: importance of solutions focused on the globalized food system.J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66(14):1590-1614. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.07.050
American Heart Association.Lose weight and lower heart disease risk.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
