Living in New York City allows us to live moderately active and healthy lives. Maybe you walk or ride a bike to work, take advantage of the hundreds of city parks, signed up for one or many of the thousands of NYC races or belong to one of the thousands of gyms or intermural sports teams.
NYC accommodates all the picky eaters and non-cooks, making it relatively easy to eat healthy or stick to a diet plan. However, obesity affects 25% of the New York Population.
Obesity, along with our metabolic health has been shown to play a significant role in low back pain, knee pain, osteoarthritis, and even rotator cuff injuries.
Obesity: What is it and how is it measured?
Obesity is defined as weight that is higher than what is considered as healthy weight for a given height. Obesity is measured by calculating Body Mass Index (BMI).
How is Body Mass Index Calculated?
BMI= Weight in Kilograms DIVIDED by the square of height in meters. Check out this CDC BMI calculator to determine your own BMI.
BMI Criteria
- If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range
- If your BMI is 18.5 to <25, it falls within the normal range
- If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range
- If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range
How does obesity affect your musculoskeletal health?
When an individual is overweight or obese it can put increased stress on joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles especially those associated with the ankles, knees, hips and low back. Functional limitations and disability related to a person’s mobility, strength, postural and dynamic balance is increased with obesity.
Effects of Obesity On Bone & Joint Health
Obesity can have adverse effects on bone and joint health.
- Every pound of body weight places four-six pounds of pressure on each knee joint.
- Higher risk for developing fractures and osteoarthritis.
- Individuals who are obese are 20x more likely to need a knee replacement.
Obesity’s Effects on Soft-Tissue Structures
Obesity can have a significant effect on tendon, ligament and muscle health.
- Obesity prolongs healing time for a soft tissue related injury. Obesity puts us at risk for several metabolic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and sleep apnea. When one or all these conditions are present the body is supplying extra blood flow to these vital organs and not to the musculoskeletal injury.
- Obesity diminishes a person’s ability to build muscle after engaging in resistance exercises.
As you can see obesity has a significant effect on the musculoskeletal system, if we can work to reduce our weight by a few pounds it will in turn reduce pain by one to two points.
