Category: Health

Obesity and pain- you can lose both this year

Whether it’s extra weight gained from holiday eating or excess weight you’ve carried for years, the new year is the perfect time to lose it.

 

I’ve written before about reasons to maintain a healthy weight  at Why Obesity matters. Multiple health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, even cancer can stem from excess weight.

But here’s another reason to shed those excess pounds or kilos- pain.

Obesity increases the risk of chronic pain especially back pain , and weight loss leads to significant decrease in pain, sometimes more effectively than medications and surgery.

 

 

Pain in the spine , hips and knees may worsen with excess weight. (skeleton display at the Museum of Natural Science in New York City)

 

Pain management specialists discussed the relationship of obesity and back pain at the American Academy of Pain medicine annual meeting. Medical research studies conducted at the Mayo Clinic linked obesity to back pain. Other studies implicated obesity in cases of arm, knee, hip and back pain in adolescents as well as elderly people.

 

A study from Norway of 64000 people showed

people with a BMI greater than 30

were more likely to develop low back pain

than those with a BMI under 25.

Body mass index chart
A BMI OF 30 or more represents obesity. BMI Chart created by Vertex42.com. Used with permission.

 

And an Australian study showed that both

obesity and smoking  are related to back pain.

No Smoking sign with pumpkins
sign posted at a produce market in rural Georgia

 

So  don’t just resolve to lose weight,

set a goal

make a plan

put it into action

Here is a recap of this blog’s obesity related information to help you get started.

How achieving emotional healing can lead to weight loss

How a woman kicked her addiction to junk food and now helps others to do the same

Comparing different weight loss programs

How attitudes affect weight loss efforts

 

 

Please  share your goals and how you plan to make it happen.

 

Finding Holiday Joy Amid Grief

Although this season brings fun and festivities, many of our friends find it hard to feel joyful when their hearts are heavy with grief.

 

xmas house
photo by Dr. Aletha

 

Whether from a recent loss, or one many years ago, grieving for the loved ones who won’t be here to celebrate with us can dampen our holiday spirit and lead to depression. 

 

  • I remember my friends who tragically lost their teenage daughter in a car wreck just a few days before Christmas many years ago.
  • I think of my friend and her adult children who recently lost their husband and father.
  • I consider my newly married friend who is battling cancer.
  • Another friend is struggling financially due to the downturn in his oil producing business.
  • And my husband and I  feel the loss of our parents and siblings at Christmas even after many years

 

As one friend wrote-

“This is my second Christmas without my husband.  It has been tough, but also a reminder that God is the god of all comfort. That works for me. And… it is a reminder to pray comfort to anyone who has faced a loss of a loved one including precious pets. Loss from any source needs a comforting friend.”

 

If you know someone who needs a “comforting friend”,  please take the time to reach out to them so they know someone cares and they are not alone.

 

Whatever your situation,  you may find some helpful suggestions in this article from the WebMD archives

Finding Holiday Joy Amid the Grief

 

My family and I wish you all health and wholeness in body, mind, and spirit.

Merry Christmas from Dr. Aletha and Raymond
Love from Dr. Aletha and Raymond

 

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