Because obesity can cause osteoarthritis, researchers have recently suggested a very low-calorie diet to avoid developing the degenerative joint disease, reports WebMD Health News.
A new Danish study takes a look at nearly 200 obese patients aged 50+ with knee osteoarthritis. They replaced most of their meals with a high-protein formula, which totaled between 400 and 1,200 calories per day over the course of four months. This diet modification led to 90 percent of participants safely losing an average of 30 pounds, which resulted in significant improvements in both pain and mobility after the study.
While this method of weight loss proved to be a safe osteoarthritis treatment, it may not be entirely beneficial in the long run, according to Sharon L. Kolasinski, a doctor at Cooper University Hospital’s rheumatology division in New Jersey. She is a bit skeptical of the study’s results.
“This was a 16-week [trial] which, admittedly, resulted in impressive weight loss. But we don’t know what happened to these patients six months later. Very rapid weight loss is almost inevitably followed by very rapid weight gain when patients go off the diet and go back to eating real food,” Kolasinski told the news source. Rather than imposing low calorie limits, she suggests combining a healthy eating lifestyle with routine exercise.
“Regular exercise and weight loss are optimal, but exercise can make a huge difference even in patients who don’t lose a lot of weight,” she said. “We know that people with osteoarthritis tend to get way too little exercise.”
Each participant in the study was closely monitored by a nutritionist to make sure that the patients incorporated healthy eating strategies throughout the duration of the research.
