Diet, Nutrition, Obesity, and Their Roles in Arthritis

Obesity and poor nutrition, individually and together, have created a costly musculoskeletal disease epidemic in the United States. Processed food, with abundant “empty” calories, has contributed greatly to our dietary woes. Much of the food consumed today is packed with calories but refined to the point that essential nutrients are lacking. Even worse, processed food may have ingredients added that are detrimental to good health. Abundant research has documented a close relationship between obesity, poor diet and orthopaedic problems. Dietary supplements have proven to provide both disease prevention and therapeutic benefits. Unfortunately, many weight loss programs and methods are ineffective and possibly dangerous. Additionally, the FDA does not regulate the nutritional supplement industry and product quality is highly variable. It is imperative that physicians treating patients with musculoskeletal complaints understand these disease producing relationships and have a network in place to refer patients to reputable weight loss entities and for high quality nutritional supplements.