Comments on: Relation between body weight and leg pain

By: Tammy

Tammy — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:21:48 +0000

Yes if you are overweight, you are burdening your legs. Your legs are what support the rest of your body. When you lose weight, you will notice that your legs don’t hurt anymore. I used to have terrible leg pain until I lost 90 pounds. Now my knees or legs rarely bother me. Losing weight is the best thing you can do, not just for your legs, but for your overall health.

By: yyy1

yyy1 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:10:27 +0000

I can only add that the members of my immediate family who are overweight (myself, my parents, and my brother) all suffer leg cramps. Two of us are quite athletic and two are couch potatoes, so that doesn’t play any part in the equation. The thin family members never mention any problems with leg cramps. And the conversation comes up a LOT.

By: mylittlesunbeam

mylittlesunbeam — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:22:42 +0000

Overweight simply means that you weigh more than is optimal for your body to function at its prime. This has so many impacts on our bodies and I am guessing this is no different for leg cramps. You are carrying your entire body weight with your legs, and at the end of the day if they are screaming in pain, you should evaluate why this is. I don’t have leg cramps on a regular basis, but when I was heavier (actually considered overweight) I did notice my legs would ache more often and I attribute this to my extra weight gain.

By: junkladylil

junkladylil — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:28:31 +0000

I am morbidly obese and DO NOT suffer from leg cramps. I used to have them daily when I was on kidney dialysis but have not had one since my kidney transplant 12 years ago! So therefore, I have to disagree that weight has anything to do with it and that diet and hydration are the most important factor in this malady.

By: Twnkls1

Twnkls1 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:18:04 +0000

People who weigh more have more leg pain, because if you think about it our legs are carrying the rest of our body. What also does not help is wearing sandals; this also creates leg pain especially in those who weigh more because there is not enough support.

By: jitters2001

jitters2001 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:44:54 +0000

An overweight person is going to be putting more stress and pressure on their knees and joints then an average weight person would. Therefore, based due to the increased stress an overwieght person is more likely to experience leg problems.

By: eireprincess3

eireprincess3 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:39:49 +0000

I’ve heard that a pound of body weight lost can relieve 4 pounds of pressure from your knees.

By: Tally

Tally — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:48:03 +0000

Your legs are what carry and hold all of your weight. So, yes, a person who is overweight is bound to have more leg pain or leg problems than a normal-weight person. If your knee joints hurt, it’s usually due to too much pressure. The more weight that comes down on the knees, the more pressure they have to hold. Just like it’s easy to pick up a 50 pound child, but it’s not easy or even possible to pick up a 200 pound person. The legs are burdened with all that extra weight. Lose weight and you’ll be amazed how much better your legs feel. I have experience. I lost 85 pounds and the knee pain I was getting has now all disappeared.

By: SAW5020

SAW5020 — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:34:00 +0000

I have a good friend who suffers severe leg cramps. He is quite over weight and also has diabetes, however, his brother is also overweight and suffers frequent leg pain but is not diabetic. I can not give a medical answer but in my opinion it might occur more frequently in people who are overweight. Whether that is from lack of movement or poor diet habits.

By: shyvioletfairy

shyvioletfairy — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:41:46 +0000

I know that I have been having more leg cramps/pain since gaining a significant amount of weight, especially in my calves.