The Weight & Osteoarthritis Connection

Did you know that your joint pain and your weight may be connected?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis. OA can be caused by excess body weight, aging, a prior joint injury, being female, genetics, and excessive/repetitive movement from certain jobs or sports. For most people, OA can get worse over time if you don’t address the symptoms now.

Losing weight isn’t easy, but it could mean a world of difference for joint pain. Weight loss might help relieve some of the stiffness, swelling and pain in your joints from OA. Here are some tips to get you started.

Set a goal

Choose a weight loss goal you believe you can accomplish. Even small amounts of weight loss help: losing 1 pound can equal 4 pounds of pressure off your knees.

Take it slow

People who lose weight gradually and steadily (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more successful at keeping weight off. A goal of losing 10 pounds should take you 2 to 3 months or longer.

Focus on lifestyle changes

Healthy weight loss isn’t about quick fixes, extreme exercise, or fad diets. Your journey is extremely personal. Experiment to find the methods that work best for you and that you can stick with over time. Here are some websites that can help you adopt a healthier lifestyle:

• YOUR WEIGHT MATTERS – yourweightmatters.org
  Take the Your Weight Matters Challenge today and talk to your healthcare provider about your weight.
• CHOOSE MY PLATE – choosemyplate.gov
  Learn about healthy eating, meal planning, and portion control.
• FIND AN EXPERT – eatright.org/find-an-expert
  Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in your area who can help you develop a weight management plan.

Get your family or friends involved

Making healthy lifestyle changes is tough when you go it alone. Ask your family or friends to support and join you on your journey to a healthier weight.

Add exercise to diet

Most weight loss research finds that you probably won’t lose weight with exercise alone. The things you eat and the amount you eat have the most impact on how much you weigh. But for people with OA, adding exercise to your weekly routine can also help relieve joint pain. Try low-impact activities like walking to keep you moving and build more strength.

Stick with it

Don’t try to make too many changes at once. Pick just one thing you feel ready to focus on for the next few weeks. Then work on it for 6 to 8 weeks to make it stick.

Celebrate little wins

Give yourself a big pat on the back for every pound lost. Every pound you lose moves you closer to a life with less joint pain. Celebrate your successes with simple rewards like new music, an audiobook, a water bottle, new workout clothes or shoes, or even a phone call with your favorite person.

There is no cure for arthritis. However, joint pain and OA symptoms can be managed through various treatments, physical activity, lifestyle changes, and education. Visit oaaction.unc.edu/JOINTPAIN to learn about treatment and lifestyle changes that get you on the path to less joint pain.

OAAA Weight Management Task Group: Weight Loss Medication Statement

Introduction

The Osteoarthritis Action Alliance is a public health organization that helps the public learn about osteoarthritis (OA) and its management. Overweight and obesity are important factors in OA onset and progression. Achieving a healthy weight is one way to help manage OA symptoms, but many people in the United States struggle with their weight. New weight loss medicines are being studied to determine their role in the treatment of obesity and obesity-related conditions, including OA.

What We Know

• Losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight is important for managing OA and joint pain.
• Obesity is a complex chronic disease whose development and treatment are affected by multiple factors.
• Physical activity, balanced nutrition, and health education are important for weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.
• Several current weight loss medicines were first used to treat type 2 diabetes but were later approved by the FDA for treating obesity.
• Lifestyle interventions like physical activity and healthy eating are important for weight maintenance, OA management, and long-term health.
• Although weight loss medicines may help with weight loss, many people on these medicines still do not participate in recommended lifestyle interventions.
• Having more muscle is important for staying active and avoiding falls, especially for older individuals. Muscle mass and strength are also important for managing OA symptoms. It is recommended to participate in exercises that increase strength and help build muscle such as resistance training.

Gaps in Research

• When people use weight loss medicines, some of the weight they may lose is muscle, but it is not clear how muscle is affected by these medicines.
• Evidence is still being gathered around the short- and long-term effects of these medications on OA symptoms, especially compared or in combination with other OA management strategies such as proper nutrition and physical activity.
• Weight loss medicines are still being studied in different groups of people, such as older adults. It is not yet known how safe these medicines are for everyone.
• The long-term safety of these medicines is also not fully understood.
• It is unclear whether lifestyle interventions such as physical activity and healthy eating can help with maintaining a healthy weight after stopping weight loss medications, as most individuals regain weight when stopping these medications.

For more information and position statements from OAAA member organizations, please visit the following links:

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Obesity Medication and the Role of Lifestyle Interventions Delivered by RDNs
• American Academy of Physician Associates: Creating a Safe Space to Discuss Obesity with Patients, Experts Speak
• STOP Obesity Alliance: The SELECT Study
• Obesity Society/Obesity Action Coalition/Obesity Medicine Association: Leading Obesity Expert Organizations Release Statement to Patients on Compounded GLP-1 Alternatives

Additional research papers, with publication date:

• Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Persons with Obesity and Knee Osteoarthritis (Oct 31, 2024)
• Diabetes and Osteoarthritis: Exploring the Interactions and Therapeutic Implications of Insulin, Metformin, and GLP-1-Based Interventions (Jul 23, 2024)
• The Role of Lifestyle Modification with Second-Generation Anti-obesity Medications: Comparisons, Questions, and Clinical Opportunities (Dec 2, 2023)
• Physical activity in the new era of antiobesity medications (Oct 17, 2023)
• Healthy Weight Loss Maintenance with Exercise, Liraglutide, or Both Combined (May 5, 2021)

Take Steps to Learn More About OA

Weight Gain and Joint Pain

• Color Spread Version (PDF)
• Spanish Version (PDF)
• The Vicious Cycle of Obesity, Osteoarthritis (OA), and Disability

Can My Weight Make My Joint Pain Worse?

• The Vicious Cycle of Obesity, Osteoarthritis (OA), and Disability
• Color Spread Version (PDF)
• Spanish Version (PDF)

Resources from the Obesity Action Coalition:

• “Excess Weight and Your Health – A Guide to Effective, Healthy Weight Loss”– Guidebook and Video
• Obesity and Osteoarthritis Fact Sheet 
• “Connecting Osteoarthritis and Obesity” – Kirsten Ambrose, MS, CCRC, Your Weight Matters Magazine, Summer 2016
• “The Wear and Tear of Obesity: the Burden of Weight in Joint Disease” – Jacqueline Jacques, ND; OAC website- Educational Resources>Resource Articles>Obesity-related Diseases
• How Obesity Affects Arthritis – Leni Ellen Kramer, MD, FACR; OAC website- Educational Resources>Resource Articles>Obesity-related Diseases
• Are you getting enough Vitamin D? – Marie A. Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD; OAC website- Educational Resources>Resource Articles>Nutrition
• Walk into Weight Loss and Health – Mira Rasmussen, BS, ACSM-HFS; OAC website- Educational Resources>Resource Articles>Exercise
• National Obesity Care Week Resources for Patients

Resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• How to avoid portion size pitfalls to help manage your weight
• Rethink your drink 
• Eat More, Weigh Less: How to manage your weight without being hungry 
• How to use fruits and vegetables to manage your weight

Explore More

The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only. Always consult your doctor before starting any new treatments or if you have any questions about your current treatment.