Shocking Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that as many as 72% of middle-aged Australian men and 58% of middle-aged women are now obese or overweight.
Therefore it is very important for obese people to understand that Obesity Can Damage Your Feet. This is also the theme for the Australasian Podiatry Council’s Foot Health Week 2008 promotion, which runs between October 12 and 18 each year.
Being obese puts people at greater risk of developing diabetes and long-term foot, leg and back problems.
“At its worst, obesity creates diabetic complications that can lead to foot or toe amputations,” explains Brenden Brown, Sydney podiatrist and Vice President of the Australasian Podiatry Council (APodC).
Diabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels become too high because the body’s natural mechanism for storing sugar to use as energy is not working effectively.
“Untreated diabetes can cause patients to lose the feeling in their feet. Which means they might not notice injuries until a serious infection occurs. However in most cases, with regular care from their podiatrist, patients can avoid serious infections that lead to the risk of amputation,” Brenden says.
The prevalence of diabetes has more than doubled over the past two decades, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Australia’s Health 2008 report. And the socio-economic costs of obesity are skyrocketing. Access Economics recently estimated obesity costs Australian society around $58 billion a year.
Foot Health Week is staged by the Australasian Podiatry Council during October each year to remind us of the strong links between foot health and individual well being.
“Obesity puts extra pressure on the joints in the feet, leading to pain and problems in the way the foot aligns during walking, running and other physical activities,” Brenden says.
Excess weight can damage delicate and immature children’s feet, placing overweight young people at greater risk of developing foot deformities and abnormalities. The International Journal of Obesity recently reported that foot problems in obese children could prevent them from participating in exercise and other desirable physical activities. Australian podiatrists say this finding underlines the importance of preventing obesity, not trying to cure the problem after it has occurred.
Early diagnosis of weight-related problems can help to prevent severe foot nerve damage. For patients at risk of developing diabetes, some foot conditions are an early warning sign. For example, a patient should visit their podiatrist immediately if they notice numbness or tingling, calluses, blisters or dry and cracked skin anywhere on the foot that takes two or more weeks to heal.
How can a patient prevent increased body weight from leading to diabetes and damaged feet? Australian nutritionists recommend increasing the amount of regular exercise and switching diet to reduce sugar intake while increasing the consumption of fibre and vitamins.
“Exercise plays an important role in helping adults and children maintain their correct weight and ensure their feet and bodies stay healthy,” Brenden notes.
But before jumping into a new exercise regime, it is important that people have the right shoes for the job. “Foot pain caused by poor footwear or poor foot alignment can lead people to stop walking and exercising. So if you are looking to loose weight via an exercise regime, start by assessing your current footwear. Your podiatrist can provide advice on which shoe is best for you,” Brenden says.
Media Information: For comment on the impact of obesity and diabetes on feet, please contact podiatrist Brenden Brown on 0411 107543
Release issued by Henry Pepper, Communication Manager, Australasian Podiatry Council on 0439 252 898
How Can A Person Maintain Healthy Feet? As a general guide:
- Avoid walking bare foot
- Avoid use of thongs
- Only wear well-fitted shoes
- If you are starting an exercise routine, see your podiatrist about which sports shoe is right for you and then have your new shoes professionally fitted.
- Keep your feet clean
- Maintain acceptable blood sugar levels
- Don’t smoke
- Exercise regularly
- Cut and file nails carefully
- Have corns, calluses and other foot problems treated by your podiatrist as soon as they emerge
Feet Facts and Background
Feet are incredibly complex parts of the body. Each pair of feet is made up of 52 bones, 66 joints, 19 muscles and a network of more than 100 tendons, ligaments, muscles, blood vessels and nerves that support our feet and help to absorb the shocks of walking and running.
Children’s feet are mostly cartilage when they are born and the bones continue to grow and develop throughout childhood and adolescence. Feet grow most rapidly during childhood, as many parents already know kids can change their shoe size every few months. Children’s feet will reach half the average adult size by the age of 18 months on average.
A person will walk around 128,000 kms in the average lifetime – equivalent to walking around the world more than three times.
Our feet absorb 1.5 to 2 times our body weight during normal walking and up to four times our body weight when we are jogging.
Diabetic foot problems can result in significant social, medical and economic consequences. Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves, reduce blood flow to the feet and increase the risk of the afflicted person developing foot ulcers and infections.
The proportion of adults with diabetes reporting they were obese or overweight – and undertaking little or no regular exercise – was notably higher than for those adults not afflicted with diabetes, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2005 National Health Survey.