Can a significant weight gain be a cause of back pain?

Happens to people: People who gain a lot of weight have to support much of that weight throughout their backs. Think of upper body excess weight as carrying a backpack loaded with big bottles of water. Water is 8 pounds a gallon. Having 24 pounds of extra upper body weight is like carrying 3 gallons of water in a backpack, which starts to ache after a while. Travel lightly in life. Weigh only as much as you need to.