Utah Study Links Obesity and Bad Knees
(AP, 5/6/05)

Dr. Kurt Hegmann of the University of Utah, and team, studied 544 adults who had surgery to repair meniscal tears between 1996 and 2000 and found that overweight people are more likely to experience a knee cartilage tear. The risk of tearing cartilage was 15 times greater for the heaviest men and 25 times greater for the heaviest women, compared to their lighter counterparts. The scientists speculate that this correlation involves factors other than just extra pressure on the knee.. For instance, obese people tend to have circulatory system problems, which may reduce blood flow to the cartilage.

(American Journal of Preventive Medicine, May 2005)