Altered mecanical demand versus different sensorimotor experience: what really matters for postural stabiity of obese people?

• Grant number: 17/17104-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: May 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Daniela Godoi Jacomassi
• Grantee: Daniela Godoi Jacomassi
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Carlos
• Associated researchers: Alexandre César Rodrigues da Silva ; Flávio Yukio Watanabe

Abstract

The worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity has been rapidly increasing. In Brazil, about 20% of adults aged 18 years or over (17.3% of men and 22.7% of women) were obese in 2014. We must be concerned about these numbers because the consequences of overweight are very well documented in the literature. The relationship between obesity and postural control has been observed recently. However, although there are evidences that show the overweight influence on postural control, there is no consensus about the reasons that lead to these changes in postural stability. Considering the complexity involved in the postural control functioning it seems reasonable to question whether the effect of obesity on postural control is merely due to changes in body geometry that modify the mechanical demand involved in body stability maintenance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of changes in body weight on postural control. Forty young adults, age ranged 18-30 years, will be equally allocated to one of two groups: obese group, constituted of obese individuals, and normal group, constituted of normal weight individuals. Postural control will be evaluated in two tasks (upright stance maintenance and sit-to-stand transfer) with body weight manipulation (real body weight or simulated body weight). (AU)