Weight Loss for Arthritis

Point #1: Obesity is a significant public-health epidemic, with the Centers for Disease Control estimating that approximately 42% of Americans suffer from it – and thus are at risk for developing life-threatening conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Point #2: Obesity also increases the chances you’ll experience arthritis – and makes it worse if you already have it.

New research provides support for one theory why obesity leads to arthritis / makes it worse: by making joint cells more likely to promote inflammation. Published in Clinical and Translational Medicine, the study suggests joint cells in obese individuals can get “recoded” so as to degrade the joint, leading to or worsening osteoarthritis. Obesity appeared to impact this inflammatory process in both load-bearing joints (knees, hips) and non-load-bearing joints (hands, etc.), although weight was not the only factor involved.

Now let’s talk about point #3: how to lose weight if you’re overweight / obese and haven’t been able to get it off (or keep it off) so far. As we’ve discussed in numerous previous articles, weight loss is challenging. The reasons are varied: from the endless push of the fast-food and processed-food industry to sell us more edible junk; to the challenge of finding time in one’s busy day to prepare healthy meals and exercise; to even the biochemical mechanisms that make overweight people more likely to overeat (even once they lose the weight).

But all that shouldn’t stop you from achieving your weight-loss goals, particularly considering the research linking excess weight to poor health. Your doctor can help you outline a sensible, long-term weight-loss strategy that’s effective and suitable for your weight, age and health. And that leads us to point #4: You deserve it!