Arthritis And Obesity - article about Arthritis And Obesity

Arthritis And Obesity: The Chicken Or The Egg?

Arthritis And Obesity: Obesity Comes First

Being overweight puts extra strain on the joints of the legs like the hips, knees, ankles, etc. This pressure wears away at the cartilage between the bones, as well as at the bones themselves. Although hip pain and damage can be a problem, the most common complaint among obese arthritis sufferers is pain in the knees.

Studies suggest that if the obesity is a problem before the arthritis, losing even a small amount of weight can help reduce symptoms.

While joint replacement surgery may help arthritis symptoms, many surgeons are reluctant to operate on obese patients due to the increased risk of complications.

Arthritis and Obesity: Arthritis Comes First

If you are used to eating fairly large quantities of food and then exercising vigorously to work off the calories (units of energy utilized by your body), weight gain may become a problem if the joints in your hips and knees become so sore and stiff you can no longer follow your daily exercise routine.

If you develop symptoms of arthritis, see your doctor. He or she may prescribe oral or topical medications to treat the pain. Your doctor may also suggest injections to the affected joints, physical therapy to keep you active, or joint replacement surgery.

If you are no longer able to exercise as vigorously as you are used to doing, remember to cut back on the number of calories you eat. If the body does not use up the calories it takes in, it stores the extra calories as fat. Since it’s much easier to keep weight off than it is to take weight off, weigh yourself every few days to make sure the numbers on the scale are not creeping up.

Alternatively, if you hate your scale or don’t own a scale, let your clothes be your guide. When they start feeling a little tight around the stomach, it’s probably time to cut the calories.

Arthritis and Obesity: Some Other Disease Or Bodily Process Causes Both

Arthritis and obesity are highly correlated. This means that a person who has one condition is likely to have the other as well. However, there is a big difference between “correlation” and “causation.” For instance, there is a correlation between having a high number of churches in a community and a having high amount of crime. But the churches don’t cause the crime to occur. Rather, the “cause” of both the number of churches and the high crime rate is having a large, urban population.

Similarly, scientists have wondered if there is a third factor involved in the arthritis/obesity equation that might cause both conditions to develop. Age, for instance, is a risk factor that is associated with both arthritis and obesity. Unfortunately, scientists have not yet uncovered any causative factor that can be prevented.

Your best bet for preventing arthritis and obesity appears to be eating a regular diet, moving your body on a regular basis, and seeing the doctor right away if you have pain that prevents you from completing your normal exercise routines.

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