This post is part of The Ultimate Guide to Total Knee Replacement
Dr. Eric Monesmith explains how obesity affects total joint replacements.
Do you know your BMI? Obesity is an epidemic in the United States. Nearly every state has an obesity rate over 20 percent; which means 20 percent of the state’s population has a body mass index (BMI) over 30, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Furthermore, many states have over a 30 percent obesity rate.
Current trend lines show that nearly half of our states will have obesity rates of 50 percent by 2030. It’s astonishing to think about that for a minute. Now, let’s consider the risk.
Obesity leads to metabolic syndrome, which has a cluster of problems including a large waistline, high circulating triglycerides (fats), low HDL (good) cholesterol, high blood pressure and high fasting blood sugar. This means the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes increases dramatically compared to the non-obese population. Nearly all forms of cancer are higher in the obese population. Arthritis rates are significantly higher in the obese population as well.
The number one adjustment we can make to lower health costs in this country is simple: lose weight. To do that we need to change the way we eat and what we teach about nutrition. I am convinced we can cut 30 to 50 percent of our health care costs by simply doing this. For more information on this, please read my blog post for tips on how to live and eat healthier. For people needing joint replacements, losing weight can help alleviate arthritic joint pain and insure better surgical outcomes.
Calculate your BMI by clicking here.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Monesmith please call 317.884.5166 or learn more healthy tips for living a nutritious and active lifestyle
Schedule an appointment
Your well-being is important to us. Click the button below or call us to schedule an appointment with one of our orthopedic specialists. If your injury or condition is recent, you can walk right into one of our OrthoIndy Urgent Care locations for immediate care. For rehabilitation and physical therapy, no referral is needed to see one of our physical therapists.
