Overweight Is a Risk Factor for Fibromyalgia

Norwegian researchers have investigated the association between leisure-time physical exercise, body mass index (BMI), and the risk of developing fibromyalgia.   In fibromyalgia there is widespread muscular pain and stiffness, with tender points in the muscles around the neck and shoulders. General symptoms include fatigue and insomnia, and there may be other health problems – e.g. irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Raynaud’s syndrome (cold white fingers), headache, and nerve tingling or numbness.  There are over 3½ million people in the USA are afflicted – 75% of them are women.  The Norwegian study is published in Arthritis Care and Research.

Almost 16,000 women without fibromyalgia or physical impairment were enrolled in an 11-year follow-up study.  At baseline, their amount of physical exercise (frequency, duration, and intensity) was assessed, and their height and weight were measured to give their body mass index (BMI).

At follow-up, 380 cases (2.4%) of the women had developed fibromyalgia.  Overweight or obese women (BMI 25 or above) were 1.7-times more likely to develop the condition compared with normal-weight women.  If these overweight women didn’t engage in more than an hour of exercise a week, their risk of fibromyalgia was more than double (2.19-times) that of normal-weight women. 

These findings tie in with the well-known benefits of exercise in women who already have fibromyalgia.