Obesity May Contribute to Migraine Headaches
Scientists have long known that excess belly fat can bump up your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Now, research suggests that it may be linked to another problem, as well – migraine headaches.
If you’ve never experienced a migraine, it’s a sort of super-headache that not only hurts about a hundred times worse than a typical headache but can also include nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise.
Now, a team of researchers from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia has found a link between belly fat and the frequency of migraines, at least until middle age.
Data collected from more than 22,000 participants in the ongoing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that a person with abdominal obesity – which means, lots of belly fat – was much more likely to suffer from migraines than someone with overall obesity. This was true for both men and women between ages 20 and 55.
Even more interesting was the fact that women with extra belly fat were 30% more likely to experience migraines than women without excess belly fat, even after accounting for overall obesity.
Although there’s no proven way to target just the belly fat in terms of weight loss, the same rules apply as when you’re trying to trim fat from any other part of your body: Cut back on calories and bump up your fitness routine with aerobic activity as well as strength training.
