Overweight and obesity
Weight…it’s a sensitive topic for both men and women across different cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds and age groups. A massive issue with multiple factors to consider, here I will discuss the effect that excessive weight has on common musculoskeletal conditions, particularly osteoarthritis.
The joints and muscles of the body must balance a combination of forces being placed upon it including gravity, ground force reaction and the persons’ body mass. Statisically, as a patient’s weight increases, symptoms and severity of joint pain increase. For every 5 kg of weight gain, there is a 36% increased risk that osteoarthritis (OA) will develop, more commonly in the weight bearing joints being the hips, knees and ankles/feet (Department of Health and Aged Care). We also know that pain can also manifest in the upper body as well. Immobility related to pain can also make weight management more difficult as it causes issues with gait and challenges with muscle strengthening. By managing weight, we begin a series of events that can prevent osteoarthritis, and reduce symptoms of existing OA and disability
What is a healthy weight? If you look at the research there are multiple things to tick off when considering weight. BMI, waist circumference and lean body mass are used together to provide a picture of someone’s weight. Used in isolation, they aren’t good indicators of health, but together, they provide a good measure of where someone is in terms of weight and risk for chronic health issues.
If you do a random search of reputable journal articles online, there is plenty of evidence to show the benefit of weight loss (in patients of high risk) on joint pain alone, and in addition it improves outcomes for surgical interventions including knee and hip replacement. This really isn’t suprsing to learn that being a healthy weight means better health outcomes, but it can be a massive barrier for patients to achieve as it isn’t considered easy to do. You’re not alone, and you have at your disposal many professionals who can help you on your journey including GP’s, dieticians, personal trainers, physiotherapists such as us and counsellors. If you want to explore your weight management options have a chat with a reputable provider who can guide you in the right direction. You’ve really got nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you have questions regarding this post please reach out to us via our social media platforms.
Yours in health, Andy and Sam