Belly Fat Forces on the Spine: Finite Element Analysis of Belly Fat Forces by Waist Circumference.

Object: It has been well-established that obesity, or the fat content of the belly, is associated with diabetes, heart conditions, metabolic syndrome and back pain. With regard to back pain, this study aimed to assess the forces that incremental amounts of belly fat exert on the spine.

Methods: A finite element analysis (FEA) was performed with a 3D CAD model of the spine using data for various populations from the Dallas Heart Study.

Results: There were significant differences in the forces exerted on the spine by belly fat among ethnic groups.

Conclusions: These findings should help clarify the stress forces experienced by the spine in relation to waist circumference and could help to explain the association between obesity and back pain.