Increase Risk of Migraine and Headache in Overweight People

I just read this article, Obesity may raise headache risk and can't wait until everyone I know emails it to me. (Yeah, right.) If you're a Migraineur you know what I'm talking about. By the end of the day, you'll have 47 copies of this same thing.

This article cites a research study that examined the

...association between body mass index (BMI), the ratio between the weight range an individual falls into, and headache among men and women, 20 years of age or older, who participated in the 1999 to 2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

(You can calculate your BMI HERE.)

Before you send me this article, please read it again. The article doesn't say being overweight causes Migraine but says being fat (that's what us un-politically correct people call it) "may increase the likelihood" of Migraine or severe headaches.

And before you go around thinking that if you gain a few (or more) pounds you're going to start having Migraine attacks and/or severe headaches, read this part again:

An increased prevalence of headache may be associated with being underweight as well.

In other words, being skinny may also increase the likelihood of Migraine or severe headaches. However, there were only 152 (2%) skinny people out of the 7,601 study participants so this needs to be investigated further.

The article goes on to say that for those who are overweight:

...weight management might be a useful approach in headache management

So, to all 47 of you who are planning on emailing this article to me with a note that says losing weight will CURE my Migraines...please DON'T.