Coming out of Winter: Weight, Inflammation & PsA - Let’s talk about it

Exploring how seasonal changes, weight fluctuations and systemic inflammation all intersect in psoriatic disease - approaching it with self-compassion, not shame.

If you’ve noticed it’s been quiet here for a while, you’re right. Sometimes winter isn’t just a season - it’s something we survive. We hibernate a little. We juggle less. We conserve our energy. We “winter along” as I like to call it.

For many of us living with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis (PsA), winter can mean more aches, more stiffness, more fatigue…. and less capacity. Blogging drops down the list when you are struggling to just function with the every day. Lots of things go out the window - we focus on simply getting through. And that’s ok!

Then spring starts to arrive, it invigorates us little. Energy still feels inconsistent but we dust off the mental cobwebs and we start to take stock. Coming out of the dark we can also realise our clothes feel a bit tighter…. we have gained weight. Not because we were lazy. Not because we “let ourselves go.” But because in the cold season, inflammatory disease often causes increased pain, reduces movement, disrupts our sleep and on top of all that - the medication effects and our natural desire to hibernate intersect.

At present, we’re hearing more in the news and medical spaces about obesity as an “inflammation driver.” So how do we hold these two things in balance - with self-compassion and the science. Without shaming ourselves?

Let’s talk about it…

Winter changes behaviour for most people. For those of us with inflammatory disease, the shift can be even more pronounced. As the cold weather worsens our stiffness and joint pain, the darker days affect our mood and energy. Fatigue can deepen. Flares can become more frequent. We’ll naturally move less - not out of avoidance, but because our bodies are begging for conservation tactics!

Comfort food becomes exactly that: comfort. Warmer, heavier meals feel grounding. We are indoors more. Our social rhythms change. Activity patterns shrink. Some of us may also be navigating medication changes, including getting some corticosteroids, which can increase appetite or fluid retention.

Our disrupted sleep can be another driver of hormonal changes that influence hunger and weight regulation. None of this is exactly choice - it’s physiological and environmental. Our bodies fluctuate - especially bodies managing chronic inflammation.

It’s true that research increasingly shows association between higher body weight and increased disease activity in psoriatic disease. ‘Adipose tissue’ (body fat) isn’t just storage - it’s metabolically active. It produces inflammatory mediators such as TNF-alpha and interleukin-6, which are also involved in psoriasis and PsA. Some studies suggest that higher BMI may be linked to:

• Increased disease activity

• Higher cardiovascular risk

• Reduced response to certain biologic therapies

  
  

Organisations such as the National Psoriasis Foundation and Versus Arthritis discuss these associations openly. But association is not blame.

Weight is one factor in a much bigger picture that includes not just the disease but also genetics, stress, trauma, medication, socioeconomic status, hormones, and access to nourishing food. Reducing psoriatic disease to just body size is not only inaccurate - it can be harmful to our mental status.

One of the most useful ways to think about this is as a cycle rather than a cause:

Pain → less movement → reduced muscle strength → metabolic shifts → weight gain → increased inflammatory signalling → more pain.

That doesn’t mean weight gain causes psoriatic disease. It means inflammation is complex and self-reinforcing - and winter can amplify parts of that loop for us. We can’t shrink ourselves into smaller bodies to meet a narrative - our goal, if anything, is reducing systemic inflammation in ways that feel sustainable and kind - for us!

In all the years I’ve been involved in advocacy and research, the one thing I do know is that there isn’t one “anti-inflammatory blueprint” that works for everyone. But we can try some approaches - for example we might explore:

• Adding rather than restricting - more fibre, more colourful plants, more omega-3 rich foods.

• Noticing patterns - do certain meals leave us feeling more fatigued or stiff? This can be really powerful for our self-management tool box.

• Gentle movement - can we do five minutes of stretching, short walks, mobility exercises?

• Sleep reset - As daylight returns, morning are brighter, can we try to better support our circadian rhythm?

• Vitamin D levels - there are supplements but to be honest, who hasn’t missed the sunshine (especially after winter months!)

  
  

Remember you can also open conversations with clinicians if weight loss is something you struggle with and want to pursue, can be particularly good to ask for this advice when on biologics or steroids.

The British Dietetic Association is clear that extreme “anti-inflammatory diets” aren’t evidence-based cures (at least yet!) Sustainable, balanced approaches tend to be safer and more realistic. The NHS also emphasises gradual, supportive lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes. We don’t have to overhaul our lives in Spring - but we can start with one small shift.

If winter has left us heavier, slower, or simply more tired - that doesn’t mean we failed. Winter bodies are survival bodies, Psoriatic disease is systemic and complex. Weight is part of that story for some of us, but it’s never the whole story. And shame has never been an effective anti-inflammatory strategy!

As we come into lighter months, perhaps the invitation isn’t to punish ourselves, but to gently recalibrate. To ask: what would help me feel a little more stable? A little less inflamed? A little more supported?

That might mean nutrition shifts. It might mean pacing. It might mean rest. Or it might simply mean recognising that “wintering along” was exactly what we needed.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear your experience. Does winter change your symptoms or weight? What small shifts have helped you coming into spring?

(You can also join in the conversation over on Substack - for the link CLICK HERE )