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your doctor would likely recommend less-drastic measures first. All surgery has risks, and as you learned in chapter 4, people suffering from obesity have a more difficult time recovering after surgery and are also more likely to die from surgery-related complications. Weight loss (to a healthy BMI) at the onset of symptoms, or even before, is perhaps the safest and most effective treatment for early osteoarthritis. So, if Cindy shed that extra thirty pounds, her knees would feel much bet- ter. Then she’d be able to restore her active lifestyle, which would, in turn, help her maintain a healthy BMI. Exercise and a healthy diet might also increase her energy level. But lack of physical activity isn’t the only thing that’s making Cindy tired. If you remember from the beginning of the chap- ter, there’s another condition we said Cindy is suffering from. It’s called sleep apnea.

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