The term ‘Arthritis’, generally, means the wearing out of the cartilage which forms the joints. It is usually caused by inflammation. Arthritis as such is not the name of a single disease. It is related to a variety of diseases and the symptoms produced are related to each other.

However, the most common form of arthritis is the Osteoarthritis. It is the most common chronic joint disorder and is also known as degenerative joint disorder or degenerative arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis is also one of the most common forms of arthritis and Gout is another form of inflammation which is known as the Disease of Kings.

Obesity is one of the major health problems, which is on the rise and is faced in most of the developed countries. Obesity, in its general terms, means the accumulation of excessive fat around the waistline. When our body accumulates fats, then is desired by the body, it makes our body weak and prone to other high risk diseases like arthritis, high blood pressure, heart diseases and various others.

Arthritis and Obesity are two common clinical diseases which can lead to emotional and physical disintegration.

Research and surveys conducted a couple of years ago showed that these two clinical diseases can be the cause of each other. That is to say, an arthritis patient is very likely to become obese as a result of the drugs used to treat the inflammation. This goes the other way too. Overweight can also result in the inflammation of the cartilage because of the heavy weight that has to depend on the weak joints to carry the body weight.

According to a study, researchers have shown a close link between obesity and the increased risk of osteoarthritis in hands, however, the connection is not clear. It was also seen to have a deep impact on rheumatoid arthritis, adversely affecting the quality of life, with increased risk of death.

Obesity has been associated with the deterioration of musculoskeletal conditions of the hip, knee, ankle, foot, and shoulder. Furthermore a number of researches have shown a close interconnection between the impact of overweight and the risk of fracture and arthritis.

However, according to a research conducted, in 2007, at the German Rheumatism Research Centre in Berlin, where scientist evaluated 767 RA patients, showed that there is a probability of people with a normal BMI (body mass index) to have rheumatic arthritis more severe than those who are obese. Also, patients who are obese with a positive RA factor have less joint damage. The observation, leading to a debatable issue, found that people who are heavier are able to cope with the condition in a better way.

According to latest researches, it has been proved that BMI and obesity do not have any influence on the increasing risk of progressing arthritis. Researchers aren’t sure about the reason but they hope it will lead to better therapy.