Boston University Arthritis Center, MA, USA.
Overweight persons are at high risk of osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee, and probably in the hips and hands. The mechanism by which overweight causes OA is poorly understood, with a likely contribution from both local increased force across the joint and systemic factors. Better evidence is needed on the effects of weight loss, but preliminary studies suggest that weight loss can both prevent the onset of symptomatic disease and alleviate symptoms, when present.