Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic problem; it’s very much a health problem as well. According to the American Obesity Association (AOA) 64.5% of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese. The unfortunate truth is that obesity is becoming a global epidemic, affecting both adults and children.
There are many reasons for being overweight. Among them are: improper or inadequate nutrition, hormonal imbalances, overeating, lack of exercise and taking drugs (prescription or otherwise). Excessive weight can cause health problems such as diabetes, heart, liver and kidney problems, just to name a few.
However, A large new study shows that obesity and pain often go hand in hand. That appears to be true even if a slightly obese person is otherwise healthy. Researchers say that begs some questions: Can extra pounds cause pain? If so, how does fat make us hurt?
A slew of chronic conditions that cause pain are more common in people who range from slightly overweight to obese. Those conditions include arthritis, depression, fibromyalgia, type 2 diabetes, and back pain. So the assumption has been that being obese makes a person more likely to have multiple medical problems, and many of these conditions may cause pain.
Back pain is the most common type of physical pain people suffer from being overweight. Being overweight or obese can significantly contribute to symptoms associated with osteoporosis, osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), degenerative disc disease (DDD), spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis.
Another type of pain that could be related to those few extra pounds is knee pain. When you weigh more than you should, you’re putting more force on that cartilage. When you put more force on the cartilage, it’s going to wear quicker. A variety of studies have found connections between carrying extra body weight and having knew pain And, in many cases, a condition called osteoarthritis is the link between them.