Your Knees Will Thank You! The Joint-Related Benefits of Weight Loss
Do you struggle with knee or other joint pain? Is your weight above the level it should be? You aren’t alone.
An analysis by Trust for America’s Health found that one in three Americans meet obesity criteria. This represents over 100 million people. Increased weight on knees and joints causes many physical problems.
Continue reading this article to learn about the benefits of weight loss. This can help decrease your knee and joint pain.
Why Do My Knees Hurt?
Increased body weight puts a serious strain on all the joints. The knees and ankles often bear much of this stress and experience increased weakness. This interferes with daily activities.
One potential consequence is the development of arthritis. You may first notice some pain when walking or climbing stairs.
Elevated weight increases your risk of osteoarthritis. The excess wear and tear on the joints contribute to the damage that can lead to osteoarthritis.
Walking on level ground puts the force of one and a half times your body weight on your knees. For example, if a man weighs 200 pounds, his knees will have 300 pounds of pressure with each step.
The forces reach two to three times the body weight when going up and downstairs. Squatting puts four to five times your body weight on your knees.
By losing a few pounds, the forces on your knees decrease.
By maintaining a 10 to 15 pound weight loss, you can lower your risk of osteoarthritis.
Relationship Between Inflammation and Weight Gain
Weight gain has been connected to elevated inflammatory factors called adipocytokines. This can impact joints in your hands, wrists, shoulders, and more.
Adipocytokines promotes swelling and have a close connection to chronic degenerative diseases. Thus, obesity results in low-grade chronic swelling.
The adipose tissue produces adipocytokines. This process not only causes swelling but also changes the way other body systems work. This contributes to many diseases.
Benefits of Weight Loss
The Center for Disease Control states that losing 5% to 10% of your total body weight has health benefits. This can improve your blood pressure and cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Using our example of the 200-pound man, losing 5% of his weight equals 10 pounds. He now weighs 190. This may still put him in the overweight or obese range, but this can decrease his risk of chronic diseases.
While following a plan to lose this weight, he will learn new ways to eat and develop physical activity habits. As time progresses, staying on this course leads to further weight loss.
Losing about 1 to 2 pounds per week results in more long-lasting outcomes. Achieving a healthy weight isn’t about the diet or program. The true goal is to develop life-long changes in the way you eat and exercise.
Losing weight can be a challenge.
Finding help and following a set routine can help you meet weight goals and realize a healthier life.
Connection Between Weight Loss and Your Health
You now understand how much force is placed on joints with increased weight. You also understand that fat tissue releases adipocytokines that cause swelling.
These two problems affect joints throughout your body.
Joint Problems
Weight-bearing joints such as your back, knees, hips, and ankles are at high risk.
Damage can occur in both sitting and standing positions. This can lead to low back pain, degenerative disk disease, and degenerative joint disease.
The excess weight puts extra demands on these joints and increases nerve irritation.
You are also at increased risk for structural damage that can also lead to osteoarthritis.
Type 2 Diabetes
Individuals who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.
This disease can lead to blindness, kidney disease, heart disease, strokes, and even amputation of limbs.
Many times, losing weight can control this disease and decrease your risks.
Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke
The adipose, or fat, tissue stores energy in the form of triglycerides. Excess triglycerides, along with elevated cholesterol and blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Combining weight loss with prescribed medications helps decrease the buildup of plaques in your blood vessels.
These plaques can decrease or even stop blood flow to parts of the body.
Easier to Exercise
Losing weight makes it easier to follow an exercise routine. Your joints feel better since they are under less stress. If you have asthma, lower body weight helps decrease the number and severity of attacks.
As you become accustomed to regular exercise, it becomes easier.
You don't get out of breath as quickly. Your body also releases endorphins which elevate your mood.
Better Sleep
If you experience sleep apnea, this can decrease or even stop with weight loss.
Those with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) see improvement as well.
All of this leads to a better night’s sleep and more energy during the day.
Stress Urinary Incontinence
Extra weight can cause more strain on the urinary system. This may lead to leaking urine or loss of bladder control. Weight loss can help or resolve this condition.
In severe cases, the individual may need surgery to correct the problem.
Improved Fertility
Weight loss can help normalize systems related to fertility.
It can restore your regular menstrual cycle and decrease androgen levels.
Losing weight can have a positive impact on polycystic ovarian syndrome which contributes to infertility.
Are You Ready to Be Successful with Weight Loss?
Being overweight or obese leads to health issues including knee pain. This article described the many benefits of weight loss.
If you are ready to find a way to shed the extra pounds, Noorani Medical Center is here to help.
We understand how difficult it is to lose weight. We also have strategies to show you how to take back your life.
We want to work with you to achieve a brighter, healthier future. Call today to schedule a Free weight management consultation.
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