Increased Body Weight is Strongly Associated with Joint Pain
Charles Annunziata, DC, CFMP • May 8, 2025
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. Studies now show that this may be prevented or even reversed with weight loss!
It is estimated that a force of three to six times one’s body weight is exerted across the knee while walking. This means that a person who is only 10lbs overweight can increase the force across their knee joint by 30-60lbs with each step! 1 In fact, in one study it was found that obese women had 4 times the risk of knee osteoarthritis compared with non-obese women. For obese men the risk was nearly 5 times greater! 2 It makes sense that the more pressure you put on a joint the more likely that joint is going to develop arthritis, but the story goes deeper.
Being overweight has also been associated with higher rates of hand osteoarthritis suggesting a second factor in overweight individuals as well. 3 Studies show that engorged fat cells increase the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals which may cause increased inflammation arthritis in joints all over the body, not just those that are weight bearing. People who are overweight experience more joint pain than those with a normal weight. But there is hope.
If obesity increases the development and progression of systemic joint osteoarthritis can losing does weight reverse the effects? One study noted that in “overweight” women (BMI greater than or equal to 25) there was a significantly lower risk of osteoarthritis when these women lost weight. 4 They concluded that for every 11lbs of weight loss, the risk of knee osteoarthritis decreased by over 50%! Weight loss substantially reduced reports of overall pain as well.
You may not have to live the rest of your life with knee and joint pain. A safe and effective weight loss program will help you to stop the progression or even eliminate your joint pain all together.
1 Felson DT: Weight and osteoarthritis. J.Rheumatol. 1995;43:7-9.
2 Anderson J, Felson DT: Factors associated with osteoarthritis of the knee in the First National Health and Nutrition
Examination (HANES I).
3 Carman WJ, Sowers M, Hawthorne VM, Weissfeld LA: Obesity as a risk factor for osteoarthritis of the hand and wrist: a
prospective study.
4 Felson DT, Zhang Y, Hannan MT, et al: Risk factors for incident radiographic
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