If I do develop arthritis, will being heavy make it worse

Q. My mother had severe osteoarthritis, and I’m worried about developing the condition myself. I’m about 20 pounds overweight. My sister tells me that losing weight might help me avoid a fate similar to my mother’s. And that if I do develop arthritis, being heavy will make it worse. Is that true?

A. Being overweight definitely increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis. That’s especially true for knee arthritis, but excess weight also makes you vulnerable to arthritis of the hip. Among normal-weight people, the knee bears 3 to 4 times their body weight with every step. For each additional pound you carry, stress on the knee increases significantly.

Even a modest weight loss can have major benefits for your joints. For people who already have arthritis, a 5% reduction in body weight reduces pain and disability. In one study of obese people with osteoarthritis, losing 15 pounds provided better symptom relief than common pain relievers.
Moderate exercise helps people lose weight. It also helps relieve pain and improve function among those with osteoarthritis. But for people who are overweight, weight loss has the biggest impact. The ideal approach involves both weight loss and exercise. In the Arthritis, Diet, and Activity Promotion Trial, for example, researchers found that a modest weight loss plus moderate exercise provided the greatest benefits in mobility and knee pain. If you have difficulty losing weight, a dietitian can help you improve your eating habits and drop those extra pounds.