Countless diseases and disabilities can be attributed to carrying excess weight or obesity, including back pain. Excess weight puts extra pressure on the spine which can, over time, cause the discs’ outer fibers to wear away. Obesity has also been shown to contribute to the development of osteoarthritis in the spine with studies showing that, with weight loss, pain from osteoarthritis subsides in many patients. Excess weight that is carried in the mid, or abdominal, section of the body typically causes the body to pull the pelvis forward, increasing the curve in the low back, referred to as lordosis. Lordosis lends itself to tightening the back muscles and causing strain and/or pain in the low back. Other weight related back conditions include spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, conditions occurring when excess weight causes an increased strain in the joint that keeps the spine in line.