It would appear that Kay is quite opinionated today. But hey, when you're on a roll, why stop?
WebMD sends me Fibromyalgia related emails once a week or so, when they have something new to share, and I read the articles because, in theory, "They iz educated and I iz not."
Today I read the article "Obesity May Raise Risk of Fibromyalgia," and since they give their readership no forum to comment on their articles, I choose to whip out my soapbox here.
But before we get to that, let's verify my credentials: I am not a freelance health writer. I am not a doctor. I am a pre-nursing dropout turned English major at a community college, who happens to have Fibromyalgia.
The article cites a recent study to be published in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research. It also cites a couple of Rheumatologists. In case you've been living under a rock, let me refresh your memory. I do not like Rheumatologists, as a rule. It has been my experience that they have no grasp of Fibromyalgia besides what their textbooks tell them, and that they should stick to treating old people with Arthritis, which is the only thing they seem to be good for.
The study and the article report that "Being overweight or obese was associated with an increased risk of fibromyalgia." It goes on to suggest "Community-based measures aimed at reducing the incident of fibromyalgia should emphasize the importance of regular physical exercise and maintenance of normal body weight." It states that "Women with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25 had a 60% to 70% greater risk of developing fibromyalgia, when compared with their thinner counterparts."
This sounds like a lot of correlation, not causation. Who's to say these women didn't gain the weight due to slowly developing symptoms of Firbromyalgia, and the decreased ability to exercise? It takes most people a year or longer to get an official diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, and that's only after they put two and two together to realize that there is something wrong with them.
These fine doctors conclude "People who are obese or overweight develop fibromyalgia more frequently, and those people who are overweight or obese and exercise are a little better off than those who don't exercise at all."
This is nothing more than a PSA telling people to exercise and eat healthy. It does nothing to advance understanding of Fibromyalgia or its possible cause(s). If this study was funded by the National Fibromyalgia Association, who is cited as a source in the article, I want my membership fees back. You are obviously not investing wisely in research, and deserve to be junk-punched.
Fibromyalgia ≠ Arthritis
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