There may be a connection between being obese and having migraines. This is based on a study conducted by the John Hopkins School of Medicine that recently connected the two. The national study surveyed over 3800 people and found a loose correlation. Researchers, however, are unsure if the conditions causing the headaches are also causing the obesity. It may actually be that the obesity causes the headache. On this detail they don’t yet know. There is one thing most experts are agreeing on though- we need to lose weight.
Obesity is Triggered in the Brain
The brain is a known culprit for obesity. One of the reasons researchers are able to link headaches and obesity is because of the brain’s influence on people’s ability to lose weight. Previous studies have shown many neurological links and triggers for weight loss. They have learned that an effective way to lose weight is by triggering the hormones that regulate our metabolism. This is why pills to lose weight fast actually work. They tell our brains to not be hungry. Obese people may be missing those triggers. That is why when you are obese; it may take a little more than just diet and exercise. Since some of obesity can be attributed to what is going on in our heads, researchers are claiming that it is fairly logical that those same triggers may be causing the occasional migraine. What exactly are those triggers? Unfortunately we still don’t know. But when science does, I am sure everyone is going to want to know those weight loss secrets.
An Unclear Connection
The John Hopkins study showed that people who are obese are 81 percent more likely to develop the occasional migraine headache. Those are some really high numbers, but before you run to the gym for some extreme weight loss, you should know that they do not know if the link is the result of migraine medications or even pain from the actual migraines. One theory is that some migraine sufferers become obese because of the medications they take. Another theory is that others fail to exercise to lose weight because of the pain in the heads. Even though the connection is not clear, most everyone can agree that being obese puts you at many health risks. Developing migraines would just be one of the many. For the majority of Americans the known health risks associated with being obese or even overweight should be motivation enough to want to lose weight.
Other Risks Associated with Obesity
Even though researchers are not ready to say there is a direct connection between obesity and headaches, there are many conditions that are known to be a result of obesity. Here are some of them:
- Gallstones
- Type 2 Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- Coronary Heart Disease
- Stroke
- Sleep Apnea
These conditions, many of them resulting in death are often a strong enough motivation to lose weight on their own. Occasional migraines would just be considered the extra cherry on top.
