The Weight Behind Knee Pain

Did you know that extra weight stresses your knees?

The prevailing medical literature shows that maintaining a healthy body weight is vital for joint health, especially in weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips.

How Weight Affects Knee Risk

Being overweight raises the risk of osteoarthritis (OA), while losing weight can reduce pain and improve function for those with the disease.

Obesity significantly increases the risk of OA in the knees.

Women with obesity are nearly 4x more likely to develop knee OA, while men are almost 5x more likely.

A 3.8 kg/m² increase in BMI raises the risk of knee OA by 40%.

Reducing the Load on Your Knees

Losing 5-10% of excess body weight can help reduce knee pain, while losing 10%+ offers even greater benefits.

This is because weight loss reduces knee pressure (1 lb lost = 4 lbs less knee stress per step) and limits harmful substances in the joints released by fat tissue.

The Osteoarthritis Initiative study showed that losing > 5% of excess weight lowers the risk of worsening knee OA and eases pain.

Gaining > 5% does the opposite.

Protecting Your Knees Over Time

The IDEA trial showed that diet + exercise led to 11.3% excess weight loss and significant reductions in knee pain.

Adults typically gain 0.5-1 kg per year.

Small efforts to avoid weight gain can help lessen knee pain and the need for knee replacements!

Today's Gentle Goal

Aim to swap out one sugary snack with nuts or fruit, plus a short 10-minute walk.

Small steps ease the load on your knees!

Thank you for reading this week’s Puraven Knee Health feature.

If you’d like more evidence-based wellness guidance, explore Puraven Beauty & Wellness' resources and coaching at puraven.com.

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With love,
Leah