Our biology working against us in obesity: A narrative review on implications for management of osteoarthritis

Obesity is the major modifiable risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA). A major focus of management in OA is weight loss. Although we live in an obesogenic environment, obesity has a predominantly genetic and epigenetic basis. This explains a person's weight set point which is defended by biological mechanisms making weight loss difficult to achieve and maintain long term, regardless of the methods used. Significant weight regain occurs after weight loss, with weight tending to return to pre-treatment levels after cessation of interventions including the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists. An area that has received little attention is the slow, insidious weight creep of 0.5–1 kg/year over adulthood that sees individuals relentlessly increase weight. There is evidence that low intensity, personalised lifestyle interventions can prevent this weight creep, providing patients with achievable goals. In this narrative review, we examine the evidence for weight loss in OA, the biological mechanisms that make weight loss difficult to achieve and maintain and the potential negative impacts on patients. We review the evidence for preventing weight gain, the improvement in patient outcomes and the potential for significant healthcare savings through reduced knee replacements. We propose a combined approach of weight loss when indicated, together with targeting weight creep across adult years and the potential role of metformin. Implementing these combined approaches is likely to be more effective in improving patient related outcomes, reducing joint damage and healthcare costs, than our current focus on achieving weight loss in OA.