Body weight is never the cause of a bad back, but certainly adds more physical stress to the spine. A loss of one pound takes two to three pounds off the spine. During heavy lifting, the spine supports 5 to 10 times your body weight. A loss of ten pounds can yield a decrease in 100 pounds less stress to the back. If I placed a fifty pound back pack on a patient for a day, by the end of that day, I would expect an increase in pain and an unhappy patient. Conversely, when I take off that back pack, I would expect a sense of relief. Losing weight will not make your back pain disappear, but it will only help in decreasing the burden of pain.
Weight loss is calories consumed minus the calories burned. I do not recommend aggressive weight loss, but I have found a steady loss of a pound a week is a reasonable goal. If you don’t feel comfortable with your diet, get help. Books, diet centers or a professional nutritionist can provide advice. By removing 500 calories a day, you remove 3500 calories a week, the equivalent of one pound. Or exercise with moderate intensity for sixty minutes can burn 500 calories each day, or a pound a week. Start a program, then be consistent and set goals that are attainable

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