Overweight and Obesity in Posture: a Biomechanical Evaluation of Postural Stability

Obesity is one of the commonest pathologies of industrialized countries. Many studies have been published on this pathology and its consequences, but very few used a biomechanical approach on the problem. We are interested in the biomechanical analysis of postural stability and loading condition of the spine of normal – weight and obese subjects. In fact, due to the excessive fat mass, especially on the trunk and thighs, the loading condition of the spine in obese subjects results certainly different from normal. This condition is expected to lead to deep biomechanical modifications, which can give pathological alterations of the musculoskeletal system. A quantitative assessment of the postural stability during quiet standing in normal and overweight subjects provides useful biomechanical information about the effect of an anomalous body weight loading of the spine. Moreover, it permits to evaluate the stability of a selected patient. These findings can be useful in a clinical setting to structure new rehabilitative treatments and to give indications on their effectiveness.