goal – watercress words by Dr Aletha

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.