Weight Loss Arthritis

Your weight can significantly impact your arthritic condition. That's why it is a good idea to consistently monitor your weight and make sure you maintain a healthy diet, along with a good exercise program. The heavier you are, the more likely you are to develop arthritis or aggravate your condition if you currently have arthritis. Your joints are impacted by weight gain. This can cause problems for other parts of the body.

Joint Stress

• If you gain weight or you are overweight, it adds to the stress and strain which is applied to your joints. In some cases, the extra weight can help the cartilage, which is the material between the joints, wear away and further increase the incident of arthritis. One way to help control your arthritis is by losing weight. Sometimes even a small amount of weight loss can help eradicate some of the pain and make you feel better in the process. Weight loss can loosen the stiffness between the joints and allow you to move more freely without pain.

BMI

• To determine if you are overweight, it's a good idea to calculate your body mass index (BMI). To get your BMI, use an online BMI calculator. Insert your height in feet and inches and your weight in pounds, then hit the calculate button and your BMI is computed for you. For example, a person who is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds would have a BMI of 28.93.

  If your BMI is 25 to 29 you are considered to be overweight, but if your BMI is 30 or more, you are considered to be obese. The BMI is a good tool to use because it provides other measurements as well. A BMI of 30 actually translates into approximately 30 pounds overweight.

Considerations

• When you are overweight and you suffer from arthritis, you limp as you walk or you may lean to one side. The body will do different things to adjust and compensate when there are problems associated with arthritis. If your body does adjust to the arthritic condition, it can cause another area of your body to get out of alignment, such as your spine. Sometimes you will try to keep as much pressure as possible off the side causing you the pain which ultimately causes the other side of the body to suffer in one way or another.

  Once you begin to lose weight, you will see a difference in pain relief and mobility. Arthritis can cause you to walk slower, which is accompanied by stiffness in the joints. Weight loss will help your mobility and flexibility, and you will see a reduction in the amount of pain you feel on a regular basis. If you don't lose a sufficient amount of weight, it may cause you to need surgery on your knee or hip later on in life.