One of the most needed surgeries people experience as they age is that of hip and knee replacement. Unfortunately, the likelihood of needing these replacements only goes up the more your weight does. Since you generally put on more pounds as you get older, you can do the math: the chance of needing the surgery is exponentially increased with every year that passes you by. In 2010, a study was conducted in order to determine just how much people weigh on average when these surgeries are usually needed.
Out of the two surgeries, you are more likely to need a hip replacement first. On average, people require hip replacements just before their 68th year is reached. In contrast, most people who need knee replacements get them just after their 70th birthday. But the real question is how much those people weighed at the time.
Interestingly, those with greater BMIs (i.e. those who are more likely in a state of obesity when the surgery is conducted) get knee replacements sooner than hip replacements. In addition, they are usually an average of just over seven years younger when they get a hip replacement and just under eight years younger when they get a knee replacement. When you initially pass from a healthy BMI to that of an overweight BMI, you automatically reduce the age at which you might get a hip and knee replacement surgery by two years. That’s yet another great reason to stay healthy for as long as possible.
You might assume that this great change is dependent on the excess impact bones and joints face due to the added weight, but that might not be the only reason. There is new evidence for metabolic and hormonal changes in the body as a direct factor in what ailments we experience as we age, and the strength of our joints and bones fail in proportion with these changes.
So what do you need to do in order to keep the weight off while ensuring that your bones and joints stay as strong as they can? Well, the first thing you can do is make sure that you get a lot of exercises. More importantly, it needs to be the right kind. Speak to your doctor to ensure that you find the right regimen for you, but in general, you should know that if you are already overweight you should avoid running at first. If your goal is to avoid strain on bones and joints, then wait until you’ve already shed a few pounds.
Exercise aside, one of the biggest obstacles to our continued good health is diet. We tend to trade convenience for good health these days, and a quick stop for fast food might seem more tempting than an hour or two in the kitchen every day. It doesn’t have to be that hard, though. Frozen vegetables are usually picked at the perfect time, and the freezing process locks in almost all the nutrients. All you have to do is heat them up, and you can get a quick boost. For bones and joints, try to add broccoli, kale, cabbage and brussel sprouts to your meal plan. When choosing foods with protein, try to take chicken or fish over your favorite cut of steak.
With just a few simple choices, you can reduce your weight, keep your bones and joints healthier for longer, and probably increase your lifespan at the same time. Good luck!
