does weight affect everything? i was diagonised with shermans disease when i was 13 and the first thing i was told was to lose weight and my back would improve i went from a size 24 down to a 16 / 18 in 3 weeks, my back still was killing and docs kept giving me pills but nothing worked 12 years on and still being told to lose weight get more active, but how can you get more active when it cripples your back if i over do it im bed ridden for a few days and i have to go stay with my mum cos of my 3 children. can anybody help me im in agony and all the docs care about is my weight . should weight always be the first thing they look at cos theres a bigger picture than weight.