Elevated BMI increases the risk for varicose veins.[1] Women (especially postmenopausal women) with overweight or obesity are more likely to develop varicose veins,[2] but less consistent associations are observed in men, suggesting that pregnancy may be a confounding factor. Nonetheless, there’s some evidence that the prevalence of obesity is higher in people with varicose veins/chronic venous disease, but the direction of this relationship (i.e., whether the obesity or varicose veins appeared first) is not established.[3]
Despite the association between BMI and varicose veins, there are no studies investigating the effect of weight loss per se on the presence, symptoms, or development of varicose veins.