During this time of year, most Kansas City adults over the age of 30 are gearing up for some annual weight gain.

But how much weight do we actually gain during these last two months of the year?

Obesity in Kansas City

Around the holidays, Kansas City adults gain about one pound of body weight on average according to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

I only gained one pound.  That’s not bad!

One pound doesn’t seem like much, but the problem is that we don’t typically lose that pound….ever.  One pound gained every year from age 30 to 50 can really add up.

The impact on your bones

This excess weight not only wreaks havoc on your heart and internal organs, but it has a negative impact on your bones and skeletal structure, too.

Another study, conducted at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, found that deep belly fat may contribute to osteoporosis because fat cells create substances that lead to bone disease in addition to heart disease and diabetes.

Perhaps the biggest impact can be seen in the knees.  

The extra weight on your joints can eventually lead to osteoarthritis because the extra weight increases the breakdown of your knees’ cartilage.  This cartilage acts as a cushion to stop joints from rubbing together and causing intense pain.

Losing just one pound of weight from any area of your body, can reduce the pressure on your knee joints by 4 pounds!

Get Moving Kansas City!

With obesity in Kansas City at an all-time high, what can you do to get your family moving?

Although having a gym membership is nice, especially when it’s dark by the time you leave work, it isn’t a necessity to having an active lifestyle.  Start with some regular, low impact exercises before the holidays are here.

Make exercise a regular part of your family’s day.  You don’t have to set aside a specific time for each family member to exercise individually.  Just plan something together that you can do on a regular basis.
Walking is something every family member can do, and Kansas City offers several parks and trails where the whole family can go for a walk or hike.  Take some time (at least on Saturdays and Sundays) to head out for a quick walk.  This gives you a chance to catch up with one another and gets the whole family moving.

A visit to your local Kansas City chiropractor can help by keeping movement in all of your joints.  By restoring motion to joints that are locked up or fixated, our family chiropractors can prevent the deterioration of the cartilage surrounding you joints.

From your back to your knees, regular chiropractic treatment can restore motion to all of your joints, leaving you with no excuse but to enjoy whatever the day brings!

Let the Kansas Chiropractors at Fulk help to get you back out there, enjoying life!  Call for an appointment or schedule an appointment online today at 913-764-6237.  We are open 7 days a week and in-network with every insurance company in the Kansas City area.

As the largest chiropractic clinic in Kansas City, we treat patients in Olathe, Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee, Leawood, Gardner and the surrounding communities.

Head into This Year’s Holiday Season Prepared:

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