I don t know to be sure, but you really should see your doc about it. Although I know exactly how difficult this can be. And if you have a family history of heart disease, then you should make an effort to try to quit smoking, as that really doesn t help at all. I m quite seriously overweight and have recently experienced chest pains too. I tend to get them when I m stressed or worried about something. Of course, when they happen, I worry about them and that just makes them worse. Like yourself, I haven t been to the doc because I m afraid of what he s gonna say. So instead, I ve completely altered my lifestyle - almost overnight. I ve cut out red meat completely. and only eat fish, chicken and turkey. I eat much smaller portions than I used to. I eat a lot more fresh fruit and veg and salads. I ve cut back to 1 cup of coffee a day. I drink only water, fruit juice or V8 vegetable juice. And I ve started getting some exercise. They pains have eased up a bit since I ve started, and I m hoping that as I lose weight, they ll go away completely. On the plus side, I m saving a fortune on food shopping, and my wife says my snoring has stopped :-)