I noticed my knee pain gets worse as my weight goes up, and I threw my back out more often
there is a formula that every pound adds so much force on the knees, ankles, feet....
from WebMD
A new study shows that for each pound of body weight lost, there is a 4-pound reduction in knee joint stress among overweight and obese people with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Researchers say the results indicate that even modest weight loss may significantly lighten the load on your joints.
"The accumulated reduction in knee load for a 1-pound loss in weight would be more than 4,800 pounds per mile walked," writes researcher Stephen P. Messier, PhD, of Wake Forest University in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. "For people losing 10 pounds, each knee would be subjected to 48,000 pounds less in compressive load per mile walked."
Although there are no studies that have shown weight loss can slow the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers say a reduction of pressure on the joints of this magnitude would appear to have a major impact on the disease. Obesity is one of the most important risk factors for osteoarthritis of the knee.
[FONT=verdana,geneva]About 8 out of 10 Americans will suffer foot or ankle problems at one point in their lives. On average, people will walk about 100,000 miles during their lifetime. That distance is equivalent to four trips around the world. Studies have found that women walk about 10 miles a day while men walk only seven. In addition, the average person’s foot absorbs 500 pounds of pressure with each step.
In one day, that total comes to about 5 million pounds[/FONT]
