Joints and obesity, Adverse effects and means of prevention

Abstract

Obesity is the consequence of two different entities: adiposity, which is an exaggeration of the body's fat tissue, and Obesity itself, which is responsible for an increase in mechanical stress on the weight-bearing joints. These two phenomena are at the origin of the appearance of osteoarthritis. The articular disorder appears especially at the knees and hips, much less at the joints of the wrists and hands (Francis Berenbaum, 2008, p1). The role of overweight in the development and chronicity of low back pain remains to be clarified. Mechanical overload alone does not provide a satisfactory explanation for other pathologies associated with obesity (such as rheumatoid arthritis), hence the hypothesis of the existence of a metabolic factor. The early management of this obesity reduces the risk of developing osteoarthritis including knee, sometimes even with a moderate reduction in weight. Obtaining weight loss should be part of a "new lifestyle" project (Meyer L, 2003, p3528).