By now, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to affirm that the United States has an obesity epidemic and that shedding extra pounds is a matter that goes beyond hegemonic aesthetics. While obesity comes with a myriad of associated risks, even carrying the odd extra pounds can have a straining effect on your body. In this month’s blog post, our team at Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine wants to focus on the many ways that carrying extra weight can negatively impact your musculoskeletal health in New Jersey. More importantly, we will take a look at how weight loss can help you regain your ability to move more freely and confidently.
The Impact of Extra Weight on Your Joints
The relationship between extra weight and serious health issues like cardiovascular disease is complex, but the link between weight and musculoskeletal health is more direct.
Your body is designed to carry a certain amount of weight, and when you’re carrying extra pounds, your musculoskeletal structure bears the brunt of this added burden. More specifically, your joints are often in the line of fire when it comes to supporting extra weight.
For example, let’s take a look at your all-important knees. Under normal circumstances, your knees absorb 1.5 times your body weight with each step. If you’re carrying additional weight, it places more pressure on these joints. This considerable increase in pressure on your knees can lead to greater wear and tear and early onset of osteoarthritis.
This same scenario can take place in other joints, such as your hips and ankles, as well as the facet joints along your spine.
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Weakened Bones
Another concern of ours when it comes to carrying too much weight is the added stress on your bones. Between the ages of 25 and 30, your bones reach their peak mass. From then on, they gradually lose density.
At first, this loss of bone mass isn’t terribly problematic for most people, but the older you get, the weaker your bones can become. This especially applies to women who pass through menopause and lose certain reproductive hormones that once promoted bone health.
New Jersey residents face a particularly concerning combination of risk factors when it comes to bone health. The state has seen obesity rates climb to 28.6% among adults as of 2020, while simultaneously having a growing aging population. Women ages 35-44 show higher obesity prevalence compared to younger age groups, with rates increasing with each age bracket.
This demographic trend is especially troubling because it means many New Jersey residents are entering their bone-loss years while carrying excess weight that will put additional strain on their skeletal system. The state’s Division of Aging Services recognizes this threat, noting that half of all women and 20 percent of men will experience an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime, making weight management crucial for bone preservation.
If you’re carrying extra pounds at the same time as you’re losing bone mass with age, your risks for fractures may increase, especially in your hips and in your vertebrae.
A Closer Look at Joint Surgery Results on an Overweight Body
- Shoulder: Rotator cuff injuries and repair surgeries present lower functional results.
- Spine: Hardware failure, complications, and infection risk increase.
- Hand: Hand grip strength decreases.
- Hip and Knee: While operative function improves, the rates of complications and hardware failure are higher.
- Foot and Ankle: Excess weight can cause chronic overuse disorders of the foot and ankle like “flat foot,” which can lead to plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and foot and ankle pain.
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Weight Loss for Better Joints in New Jersey
There are myriad benefits to losing weight and, as orthopedists, we’re improving your musculoskeletal health is definitely one of them. Through weight loss, you can take the added pressure off of your joints, your bones, and the connective soft tissues in your body. By lightening the workload of your musculoskeletal structure, you can not only ward off problems like arthritis and fractures, you can move more freely and effortlessly.
At our practice, we offer guided weight-loss programs that help our patients in New Jersey take charge of their weight through better eating habits. Our approaches, namely paleo and keto diets, are designed to mimic the eating habits of our ancestors, which means avoiding processed foods, which are full of unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates, including sugars.
Better still, the paleo and keto diets not only help you lose weight, they are satisfying and supply your body with the energy and nutrients it needs to function optimally.
To learn more about our weight-loss programs and how they can help improve your musculoskeletal structure, please contact one of our offices in West Orange or Westfield, New Jersey.
To make an appointment call 908-588-2311 or CLICK HERE.
