Obesity is closely related to many diseases. The well-known ones are hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and so on. But did you know that obesity can also lead to osteoarthritis? Studies show that obese people have the highest rate of hospital admissions for knee damage. Obese people have a 64.5 percent chance of developing knee osteoarthritis, compared to 34.9 percent of normal weight people. Why are obese people prone to osteoarthritis? First, the bones and joints of obese people have to bear more weight. For a normal-sized person, our joints, especially the hips and knees, must carry most of the body’s weight. For obese people, the weight they have to bear is greater, and the pressure on the joints is greater. The joints are in motion all the time. For example, when we walk, the joints are in repetitive motion and our joints receive wear and tear. When we are running, the excess weight is equivalent to our knee joints being subjected to forces equivalent to three to six times our body weight. When you are young, your body is able to heal itself, and your joints can repair the tiny wounds caused by friction day and night. However, when obesity burdens the joints, the joint structure wears out and ages faster, and as we age, our ability to heal ourselves gradually deteriorates, and pain increases. Second, osteoarthritis may also be related to the unreasonable diet structure of obese people. For example, high fat intake can not only cause obesity, but can also have a negative impact on bone, cartilage and joint structure. Third, osteoarthritis is related to changes in posture, gait and exercise habits due to obesity. Therefore, for overweight people, exercise is not an optimal way to lose weight and is likely to cause physical damage that will not be worth the loss. In short, obesity is a risk factor for osteoarthritis, so all of you fat people need to be more alert!