Overweight causes knee pain, high cholesterol and blood pressure

My mother is 67 years old with high cholesterol of 266 and blood pressure (bp) of 140 with pain in her right knee
(October 11, 2010)

The weight of an individual is determined by many different factors, some of which are within the control of the individual while others are beyond control. The height of an individual as well as the density of bones is something that is impossible to change. Other factors that influence the weight of the individual are muscle mass and fat quantity on the body. These are two factors that are within the control of an individual.

When food is consumed, it is broken down in the digestive system and passed into the blood stream. Through the blood, food is transported to different parts of the body.


The different parts of the body break down food to generate energy. Energy is required for every single body function and this is produced by the process of metabolism. Food consumption takes place three or four times a day typically. Food is therefore stored temporarily in the muscle tissue and in the liver. This temporarily stored food can be used later in the day for energy production. Food that is unused can be converted into fat. When the diet contains lots of fat, the body tends to store some of this fat for later energy production. These two factors are the main reasons why people suffer from overweight problems.

The definition of overweight depends on which type of scale one is using. The most popular scale to define this condition is the body mass index calculation. Using this calculator, one can arrive at a numerical figure for the mass index of an individual based on the height of the individual and his or her weight. The index then classifies the individual as underweight, normal weight or overweight. Both extremes of this classification are dangerous to the long term health of the individual. Underweight and overweight people are more likely to develop medical conditions than people with normal body weight, statistically speaking.

The most common overweight causes are diet and exercise regimes. When an individual consumes an unhealthy diet with insufficient healthy food, he or she is setting up for a situation where the body will not function efficiently. Weight gain is a result of consuming too much food, especially food that is not particularly nutritious. A lack of nutrition often causes the individual to seek more food as the body will require nutrition to perform its functions. When an individual is already overweight, he or she is likely to eat heavily in order to sustain the excess body mass. This causes further weight gain.

Exercise is required to burn off energy that is produced in the body. This will make it necessary for the body to produce even more energy and this leads to the breakdown of more food. Initially, the body will access nutrition that has recently been consumed and temporarily stored nutrition for energy. When the body runs out of these sources, the process of fat breakdown will take place. This is why one needs to undertake endurance exercises in order to burn fat and lose weight.

From your question I understand that your mother is basically suffering from two problems. She has high cholesterol and in addition to this she has a painful knee. You have not mentioned how much your mother weighs. Very often people notice that their knees and ankles hurt when they are over weight. Since the knee is weak and unable to bear the weight, it causes pain. If this is the case then your mother should make all attempts to lose weight. She should cut down on sugar and food that contains oil and spices. Instead, she should eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. If possible, she should ensure that she takes some form of exercise everyday. This will help her reduce her weight. In addition to this she should use hot fomentations on the painful knee. She should cut down on eating cucumbers, bananas and yogurt.

In order to reduce her high cholesterol, your mother needs to watch her diet and eat food that will help her lower the cholesterol. Oatmeal and oat bran are two food items that she should eat regularly since these are rich sources of soluble fiber. This is a type of fiber that actually helps to lower the cholesterol. Your mother can eat small quantities of these food items every single day. Other products which contain oat barn and rolled oats can also be consumed. Whole oat flour is particularly healthy as is oatmeal.

Your mother should also eat fish at least twice a week. She can eat fish like salmon, sardines, herring, trout and mackerel since these contain a high percentage of fat. Fish provides a good source of protein and also of omega 3 fatty acids. The omega 3 fatty acids have been proved to reduce cholesterol and should be consumed regularly by your mother. Nuts of various kinds, which are not only rich in fiber but also contain antioxidants like Vitamin E, should certainly be consumed. They contain a high percentage of plant sterols and help to lower the cholesterol.

Your mother can eat a small helping of nuts like hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, and pine nuts regularly. Your mother should also include one clove of garlic in her daily intake of food since eating this on a regular basis has proven beneficial in the reduction of cholesterol. Your mother should also be encouraged to eat lots of fresh vegetables fruit. Vegetables and fruit contain a high percentage of fiber and antioxidants, foliate and potassium and are invaluable in reducing the cholesterol.