One in five Americans suffer from doctor-diagnosed arthritis, but among three segments of the population, the impact is worse. Women, African Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos have more severe arthritis and functional limitations. Compared to their Caucasian counterparts, African American and Hispanic/Latina women also have much higher levels of obesity. The role of the nurse in managing a patient’s osteoarthritis (OA) progression has been evolving and can include evaluation, education of the patient, risk management for medications and other management activities, care coordination among the patient and healthcare professionals, and compliance strategies including proper medication use, weight reduction, and exercise. Addressing obesity among various racial/ethnic populations requires an understanding not only of the biological causes of obesity, but also of the culture, values, beliefs, resources, and environments that influence eating and physical activity behaviors and choices. This educational activity provides an overview of gender and racial/ethnic musculoskeletal disparities, the relationship between obesity, OA, and other comorbidities, and the potential impact of the AMA recognition of obesity as a disease. Also discussed are cultural and health literacy considerations of the patients most at risk for disability from OA – obese African American and Hispanic women. It concludes with a discussion of the challenges facing healthcare providers in providing culturally competent care that promotes healthy habits, the need to confront conscious and unconscious bias, and communication skills and techniques that enhance shared decision-making with patients in order to reduce and/or eliminate disparities in care by communicating more effectively with obese minority women with OA.