Your knees work hard to support you as you stand, walk and move around and experiencing knee pain can be debilitating. One of the best things you can do for your knees is to maintain a healthy body weight. There are many reasons for this.
Reduce the stress on your knee joints
Patients are often surprised to learn that carrying even just a few extra pounds takes its toll on their knee joint. When we walk, our knees absorb a force three to six times greater than our total body weight. This means that if you’re10 pounds overweight your knees are absorbing additional pressure of 30-60 pounds for every step you take. Think about everything you do over the course of a day and you’ll start to appreciate that this is a lot of extra demand you’re putting on your knees which can hasten the breakdown of cartilage in the joint.
Cut systemic inflammation
However, it’s not just the additional stress on your knees that is a cause for concern when it comes to carrying excess weight. Studies show that being overweight is a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis. The reason for this is that fat cells release proteins into your body that can cause inflammation. These proteins cause ongoing, low-grade inflammation which travels to every part of the body, including the joints. Joint inflammation makes you more likely to develop osteoarthritis.
Obesity is a primary risk factor for osteoarthritis
According to the World Health Organization, around 528 million people were living with osteoarthritis in 2019 – an increase of 113% since 1990. The knee is the most frequently affected joint (365 million), followed by the hip and the hand. The WHO is keen to point out that osteoarthritis is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. It cites being overweight as a primary risk factor, alongside a history of joint injury or overuse and also ageing. It recommends exercise and healthy eating to build strong muscles and maintain a healthy body weight, alongside reducing the overuse of joints.
An increased risk of surgery and greater chance of complications
Obese people with osteoarthritis in one knee are five times more likely to develop the disease in their other knee compared to people who are a healthy weight. People who are overweight or obese are more likely to need a hip or knee replacement and tend to have poorer outcomes after surgery and have a higher risk of surgical complications.
All of this makes a compelling argument for losing excess weight, whether you have already being diagnosed with arthritis or whether you are just keen to reduce your risk of the disease. Losing even a moderate amount of weight can decrease pain levels, which may make it easier to continue exercising and, therefore, building on your initial weight loss.
“I had a robotic assisted total knee replacement and the results are fantastic. Thank you ! Most importantly I was able to have the surgery with a far more reasonable target for BMI than I had been given elsewhere. With an achievable target I was inspired to actually lose weight. And now with the pain and mobility issues that prevented me from feeling inspired to do so all gone – I am continuing to lose weight, and most importantly enjoying a mobile and pain free life !!! Thank you so much Mr Carrothers!!!!
2nd May 2025, Patient at Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital – read more reviews
Talk to your doctor or specialist
If you are concerned about the impact of weight on your knee joints, talk to your doctor or orthopaedic surgeon. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a reliable indicator of whether or not you are overweight. It divides your weight in kilograms by your height in meters, squared. Your doctor may also measure your waist circumference as this is linked with abdominal fat – another predictor of possible disease risk.
You may want to discuss with a dietician safe and effective ways of reducing your food intake to bring down your BMI. Ideally a combination of healthy eating and increased physical activity will help to reduce your weight to a healthy level. And, of course, it is not only your joints and arthritis risk that will benefit from this weight loss but also your heart, lungs and other organs.
For more information about reducing the risk of excess weight and protecting your knee health, contact us.
If you find yourself needing a knee surgery to improve your quality of life, Carrothers Orthopaedics offer partial and customised total knee replacements as well as Mako robotic arm assisted options, which uses leading technology, for suitable patients.
Talk to an orthopaedic consultant | Cambridge
We are always happy to provide information and guidance about the various treatment options, both surgical and non-surgical, including Mako Robotic Arm Assisted Surgery and conventional surgery.
For more information, please contact us.
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For your convenience, we offer appointments at both Nuffield Hospital Cambridge and Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital.
