Is obesity a cause for back pain?

Yes. The chances are more for obese people with big tummy to get back pain. Overweight people invariably adopt a very poor posture .They carry their excess weight in front of them, which throws their backs into an uncomfortable hollow. This overstretches certain spinal ligaments and reduces the diameter of the foramina (holes) through which the spinal nerves emerge, increasing the risk of nerve root compression. Pregnant women are also prone to backache because they carry the weight of their babies in front of them. This forces their spines into a painful backward bend. Exactly the same is true for a obese person with big tummy.