Chronic pain more common in overweight people
A new study conducted by Stony Brook University researchers suggests that obese people suffer more discomfort and pain compared with normal-weight individuals.
A telephone interview with one million people across the US disclosed that the heavier a person was the more he reported suffering from a painful condition.
According to the findings, 38 percent of the participants were overweight and 25 percent were obese, researchers wrote in the journal Obesity.
Compared to participants with low to normal weight, pain rates were 20 percent higher for overweight people while the obese people had 68 percent greater rates.
Furthermore, people with a BMI between 35 and 39 suffered 136 percent more pain while those with a BMI over 40 reported having 254 percent more pain, which was the highest.
“Our findings confirm and extend earlier studies about the link between obesity and pain,” said senior author Arthur Stone of Stony Brook University.
Researchers suggested that depression, inflammation and underlying genetics could be potential causes for higher rates of chronic pain in obese people.
On the contrary, some psychosocial and environmental factors may work and lead people suffering from painful conditions to gain excessive weight due to avoiding physical activity.
“For people with arthritis, the pain may discourage physical activities that can help to maintain normal weight (e.g., exercising). Thus, as pain increases, inactivity can result in weight gain,” scientists said.
Source: presstv.com
