الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Obesity is a problem of epidemic proportion. Despite record rates of non-physician supervised dieting and the availability of numerous weight loss programs, the problem is not abating. Complicating this, is that most primary care physicians do not treat obesity, citing a lack of time, resources, insurance reimbursement, and knowledge of effective interventions as significant barriers. (1)
The issues of overweight and obesity are important public health problems because they are associated with increased risks for hypertension, coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, gall bladder disease, certain cancers, osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea. Indirect costs of these co-morbidities are difficult to quantify but conservative estimates are in the order of hundreds of millions of pounds per year. These associations are clear; the link with Low Back Pain (LBP) is less so. (3)
Chronic Low back pain and obesity are important clinical, social, economic and public health problems affecting the population indiscriminately. Obesity has been associated with symptoms such as adverse fat distribution; and secondary disorders including coronary artery disease, stroke, noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, cancer, and low back pain. (7)
There are several hypotheses relating to a link between obesity and chronic low back pain. Increased mechanical demands resulting from obesity have been suspected of causing low back pain through excessive wear and tear, and it has been suggested that metabolic factors associated with obesity may be detrimental.(8)