title: The effect of obesity on postural stability during a standardized lifting task.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of obesity on postural stability during a standardized lifting task. Twelve young males, six obese and six non-obese, completed three replications of repeated six lifts (at a rate of six lifts per minutes) at two levels of loads (10% and 25% of capacity) crossed with two levels of orientation (0° and 45° from sagittal plane). Postural stability measures showed that center of pressure sway path and sway area were ∼21% and ∼53% lower with obesity, respectively. Additionally, frequency band of amplitude spectrum in the medial lateral direction at 0° lifting orientation was significantly lower with obesity. The results suggest that obesity, as measured by body mass index, does not impair balance control in healthy young males when lifting load is relative to the capacity.
authors.affiliation: a Industrial and Systems Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York , Buffalo , New York.
authors.forename: Mojdeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pajoutan
authors.affiliation: b Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering , North Carolina State University , Raleigh , North Carolina.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: a Industrial and Systems Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York , Buffalo , New York.
authors.forename: Lora A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Cavuoto
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D006804:Ergonomics; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Balance; body mass index (BMI); center of pressure; lifting