Obesity linked to back pain

Obesity has been linked with many adverse health impacts and now new research from the University of Hong Kong, which was published in the Arthritis & Rheumatism journal, has found that the condition may cause back problems.

The doctors assessed the medical records of 2,599 people over the age of 21 and observed that those with an elevated body mass index had a significantly higher chance of developing lumbar disc degeneration than those with a healthy body weight.

"Since overweight and obesity are worldwide concerns whose prevalence continues to rise, our study's findings have considerable public health implications," said Dr Samartzis, who co-led the work.

Lumbar disc degeneration is a complex process that involves structural and chemical changes to the vertebrae in the lower back and can cause severe pain.

According to the World Health Organization, there are at least 300 million obese adults in the world and the condition is a contributing factor to the onset of several diseases including diabetes and cancer. ADNFCR-438-ID-801278361-ADNFCR