Abstract
This article is a literature review, that aims to evidence consequences of obesity, which is a chronic metabolic disease, on rheumatological and discal conditions, using results obtained in articles published on LILACS, MEDLINE, PUBMED and SCIELO databases. Obesity is considered a major public health challenge, existing in both developed and underdeveloped countries. This panorama is justified by the poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle, observed in the majority of global population. It is a mutisystemic disease, in which are observed inflammatory and immunomodulatory implications, impairing the balance between the pro and anti-inflammatory immune response profiles. These alterations influence not only the genesis of complications, but also treatment failure and decreased remission rates. There is an increase of inflammatory markers and alterations in other comorbidities progression, so that obesity presents itself as an aggravating factor for rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. Dietary adequacy and physical exercise are indicated, leading to weight loss, with consequent reduction of mechanical overloading, inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress.