Patients who have knee replacement surgery may want to consider adopting an alkaline diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains for weight management, as a new study suggests that individuals who have the surgery are more likely to gain a few extra pounds.

According to researchers from the University of Delaware, despite gaining the ability to move without pain and increasing the rate of exercise, more patients who have knee replacement surgery are likely to gain weight.

The study examined 106 individuals who had knee replacement surgeries and a control group of 31 healthy individuals who had not had the treatment. Of the people who had the surgery, 66 percent gained an average of 14 pounds over the next 2 years. The control group did not have the same problem.

Researchers believe the solution relies on the physical therapist, who can help people that have the surgery retrain to become active again.

“For physical therapists and surgeons, the common thinking is that after a patient’s knee has been replaced, that patient will be more active,” said researcher Lynn Snyder-Mackler. “But the practices and habits these patients developed to get around in the years prior to surgery are hard to break, and often they don’t take advantage of the functional gain once they get a new knee.”