Arthritis Care says that by 2030, over half the population will be aged over 50; while around the same proportion will be clinically obese. This is set, say the charity, to have a huge impact on the NHS, and on arthritis care in particular.

Because of this, they are urging the government to put precautions in place for what it’s calling a “tsunami of pain”.

Despite the fact that arthritis is not life threatening, it has a huge effect on quality of life, as it leads to stiffness, reduced mobility and, in many cases, constant pain. Every year, two million people visit their GP with problems caused by the joint disorder, while a new poll conducted by Arthritis Care suggests that one in five may retire early because of it.

Figures also show that there are over 140,000 hip and knee replacements in the UK every year.

The CEO of Arthritis Care, Judith Brodie, told the BBC: "The individual, economic and societal burden of OA is already enormous, but with an ageing and increasingly obese population the future is looking bleak.

"We need policy-makers and professionals to take the condition seriously; to implement robust and meaningful strategies to address how OA is treated and managed across the UK and to improve health services."