If you pardon this poor attempt at a pun, depending on where you stand, it’s either good news or bad news that according to a huge American survey, there’s been a very steep rise in the number of knee replacement procedures over the last several years.

Thus, based on data released by the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, between 2007 and 2010, the number of knee replacements done in the US rose by 157 % in women, and 144 % in men.

The good news is that so many more people who need a knee replaced are getting that procedure done, including lots of elderly, who used to be excluded from getting this kind of operation.

But now that the elderly are living so much longer, it’s become much more routine for a senior in decent health to get a knee – or a hip – replaced – because there’s a very good chance they’ll live a long time with that new joint.

The bad news is that knee replacement operations have risen most dramatically among baby boomers, and the most likely reason for that is excess weight since obesity is a major risk factor for wearing out a large weight-bearing joint like a knee or a hip.

And the even worse news is that this trend is only going to get worse as all those overweight and obese kids out there trudge their way into middle age.