Is there a link between obesity & fibromyalgia?

In 2009 and 2010, researchers published the findings of three studies performed at the University of Utah and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology that found a link between obesity and fibromyalgia. As someone recovering from obesity and suffering from fibromyalgia, I’m glad when data comes to light that might help explain, treat, or prevent these conditions. A link that might reveal a common cause sounded promising to me.

 

The public in general and FM sufferers in particular heard something else in those reports, thanks to eager journalists who jumped on the studies’ findings and mined them for their shiniest nuggets. The studies included mostly female subjects, so a distorted message was broadcast: FM is a fat woman’s disease, and if those lazy gals would just exert enough willpower to diet, exercise, and lose weight, their FM symptoms would lessen or even disappear.

 

I recently wrote an article about the obesity-fibro link for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain LIFE magazine. In researching the article, I learned a lot about the possible causes of both obesity and fibromyalgia, things I’d never heard before at all. Sufferers of both obesity and/or fibromyalgia often hear that their problem is all in their minds, but it turns out there’s a whole lot more going on than the patient’s conscious behavior…that the problem is caused or at least affected by biological and other factors over which we have no conscious control. If you’d like to read more about it, go to http://fmcpaware.org/ and click on the image of the magazine cover on the left side of the page (it’s a woman wearing a red jacket, holding a globe).

 

Jean

Yep it's always our fault! I can say that my fibro has been around since I was a 135 lb. 20 years old and I stayed active till I developed a lung disease and that is when I started gaining which only makes sense. The less I can move the more weight I'm gonna gain. Also the older I got the worse the fibro got and again caused less movement so again makes sense. But we must remember to continue to kick the fat folks when they are down after all it's the American way! Hopefully folks like Jean can help open a few ignorant eyes and minds. There does indeed seem to be a connection of some kind even if it is only the fact that we fibro suffers tend to move less so obviously will tend to weigh more. Way to go Jean!

Thanks!

I think the next article I'm going to propose for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain LIFE magazine will be about the bias of medical professionals towards obese patients, especially obese fibro patients.

all I can say is after surgery I started losing weight fast, and was able to cut down to one med!! The only two pills I take are protonix and welbutrine now!!  And im not the only one there have been alot of other girls in my support group that say the same thing.  It allmost retreats, but if I start sleeping crazy hours like new years, that and stress are the big triggers now.  Im sooo happy it's not 24 to 7 anymore.  I've had Fibro since I was 150 lbs allmost 11 years ago when I was dxed in the miitary after an exposure inccident!! Im only a couple of weeks out so I wonder if it was the weight, or the food i was eating.  I have seen a link between preservative and Fibro.

Thank you for sharing. I am doing alot of research a out lap band surgery and fibromyalgia, the benefits, the meds and how that is impacted. Unfortunately although my meds help me so much...i have put on 30 pounds very quickly. This is the heaviest o ha e ever been in my life and I need to get a handle on it before I can't bounce back from it. Hoping the reports that lap band is a good tool to go tell the weight and reduce symptoms even if I can't currently be as active as I was used to. I want to live life and not be isolated by being over weight which exacerbates my FM flares and pain.