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Posted on Oct 31, 2006, 5 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
Shedding a few pounds and engaging in physical activity may help fend off arthritis, researchers in Atlanta said. For example, research showed doctors diagnosed arthritis for 31 percent of obese adults and 21 percent of overweight adults said, compared with 16 percent of adults who were within acceptable weight norms, WebMD.com said.
Shedding a few pounds and engaging in physical activity may help fend off arthritis, researchers in Atlanta said.
For example, research showed doctors diagnosed arthritis for 31 percent of obese adults and 21 percent of overweight adults said, compared with 16 percent of adults who were within acceptable weight norms, WebMD.com said.
A quarter of those who were physically inactive said they had doctor-diagnosed arthritis, compared with the roughly 20 percent of adults who were physically active, WebMD.com said.
The national Centers for Disease Control said more than 46 million adults in the United States were told by their doctors that they have arthritis, gout, lupus or fibromyalgia, a rheumatic condition in which people feel pain to pressure, WebMD.com said. About 17 million said arthritis or joint symptoms slow down their activities.
The CDC results are from national surveys conducted 2003-05. The CDC predicts that arthritis will affect 67 million U.S. adults by 2030, WebMD.com said. The CDC results were based on patients reporting doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Researchers did not check patient records nor include non-diagnosed arthritis, WebMD.com said.
