Excess weight puts more stress on weight-bearing joints, which can lead to cartilage breakdown. For every pound gained, the knees experience an additional 3–4 pounds of stress. Being only 10 pounds overweight increases the force on the knee by 30-60 pounds with each step.
Extra body fat can increase inflammation, which is a common cause of Osteoarthritis pain. Extra weight is associated with faster disease progression.
Loss of only 10% of body weight, coupled with exercise, is recognized as a cornerstone in the management of obese patients with osteoarthritis, and can lead to significant improvement in symptoms, pain relief, physical function and health-related quality of life.