According to the CDC, even a modest weight loss of 5 to 10% of a person’s total body weight can decrease risk factors for chronic diseases related to obesity. Health benefits associated with weight loss can include improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugars, and weight loss is often attributed to a long list of other positives including increased energy and mobility, enhanced sleep, less prescription medication, better moods and increased self-esteem.
Photos courtesy of Martha Ford
Weight loss for life
Thanks to local residents Martha Ford of Stokesdale and Max Gardner and Albert Howard of Oak Ridge for sharing their weight loss journeys with us in this annual edition of To Your Health. We hope you’ll be inspired by their stories as much as we are!
Determination nets a 70-pound weight loss After dropping from a size 16 to a size 4, Stokesdale resident Martha Ford says determination helped her lose her excess weight and is helping her keep it off By ANNETTE JOYCE
8
2022
One of the things Martha Ford absolutely hated about being overweight was shopping for clothes. “When I would try on clothes, I couldn’t find any that would fit me and look good,” she said. “I was disgusted with myself.” After losing 70 pounds, Ford doesn’t worry about that anymore. In fact, these days she even shops online with confidence. As an example, she recently reached out to her 23-year-old daughter for
help picking out a dress for an upcoming wedding. “Katie sent me a photo of a dress and shoes and I just ordered them online,” Ford said. “They fit perfectly. I’ve never been able to do that in my whole life, and it feels so good!” While being able to find well-fitting, attractive clothes was a factor in starting her weight-loss journey, Ford, 58, was also spurred on by the death of her best friend’s husband. “He was in his early 60s and had diabetes and all kinds of health issues,” Ford said. “He spent 115 days in the hospital before passing. It was a wake-up call. I saw myself getting bigger and headed in the same direction.” In March 2021, Ford was searching for a solution to her weight problems when she ran across a photo of another friend on Facebook. The last time Ford had seen her friend she was
Martha Ford before she made the decision to lose weight – for good. Martha Ford (left), shown here with her husband, Leon, is a radiant mother of the bride. After losing 70 pounds, Martha dropped from a size 16 to a size 4.
