Weight and joint disorder - an FYI

[Guest guest]

Although doctors (and the public) tend to blame everything on weight

and especially joint disorder, the truth is that there is NO EVIDENCE

that weight has much to do with anything when it comes to joint disorder.

For example, 80 lb gymnasts have needed joint replacements at the age

of 18-20 and very overweight people in their 40's and 50's(like Manny

Yarborough at 750 lbs...Sumo wrestler) have NOT needed joint

replacements....

We don't really know what causes joint disorder other than the fact

that heredity seems to be a factor.

We do know that joint problems happen to people of all weights, all

activity levels and all ages.

For example, my 16 year old granddaughter has osteo arthritis

seriously enough for it to be necessary for her to take ibuprophen

quite often and also enough to have made it impossible for her to

participate in sports or running. She has told me that sometimes she

has pain in several joints, arms and legs. She has been thoroughly

checked out and had an MRI and her diagnosis was osteoarthritis. She

is at her " ideal weight " and has never in her life, been overweight.

best,

Sue, moderator

[Guest guest]

Some more blurb about about extra weight: it can work in one's favor regarding bone density.. especially for those needing/wanting a resurfacing for hips. While it makes it more difficult for the surgeon, the extra weight makes for dense, hard bomes, from the weight bearing that happens just by "being." So in my case, once I got to the right surgeon, who didn't have a biased mindset against weight, it was actually in my favor. Had to go to Belgium to find him though:) And in my case, the cause was not the heavy weight, but a trauma-induced OA from a fall. My knees have some OA, from the years of compensation and poor gait, while favoring the hips, and while the weight isn't the cause, I know it contributes to the pain. Kellen in NMSueW <gswidemark@...> wrote: Although doctors (and the public) tend to blame everything on weightand especially joint disorder, the truth is that there is NO EVIDENCEthat weight has much to do with anything when it comes to joint disorder.For example, 80 lb gymnasts have needed joint replacements at the ageof 18-20 and very overweight people in their 40's and 50's(like MannyYarborough at 750 lbs...Sumo wrestler) have NOT needed jointreplacements....We don't really know what causes joint disorder other than the factthat heredity seems to be a factor.We do know that joint problems happen to people of all weights, allactivity levels

and all ages.For example, my 16 year old granddaughter has osteo arthritisseriously enough for it to be necessary for her to take ibuprophenquite often and also enough to have made it impossible for her toparticipate in sports or running. She has told me that sometimes shehas pain in several joints, arms and legs. She has been thoroughlychecked out and had an MRI and her diagnosis was osteoarthritis. Sheis at her "ideal weight" and has never in her life, been overweight.best,Sue, moderator

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