Discussed
below are a few helpful facts that would enlighten you on the
significance of shedding weight to keep your foot health.
Relationship between body weight and foot health
It
is the foot which bears the entire body weight. Gaining even an extra
25 pounds can tip the scale, and cause painful foot and ankle
conditions. This is because the extra weight gain changes automatically
your body posture while walking. Your knees come closer, and the body
weight shifts to the insides of your feet triggering various problems.
Obesity-caused specific foot problems
Obesity
makes you susceptible to several health conditions like diabetes, high
uric acid, peripheral arterial disease and so on. High uric acid in turn
causes gout, a painful condition which affects foot and ankle joints.
Due to diabetes you might experience numbness of feet, often leading to
sudden injuries. Sometimes, accumulation of plaque in the arterial walls
of your legs can lead to reduction of blood flow to the feet.
In
serious cases, amputation of toes or feet is not improbable. Apart from
these, tendon inflammation, swelling and tenderness of the plantar
fascia and osteoarthritis are a few common outcomes of obesity, which
can affect normal, active life.
Damage control
When
overweight is the root cause of your foot problem, you need to lose
weight undoubtedly to handle the situation. Intense physical activity is
the best solution; but if you start working too hard all of a sudden,
you might end up with foot injuries.
That
is why doctors suggest low-impact aerobic activities, most preferably
water aerobics. Start exercising gradually; avoid too strenuous
activities, which can aggravate your foot condition.
Before
starting any new exercise regime, seek your physician’s guidance to
ensure that your heart and lungs are strong enough to endure the
activity. Besides, you need to keep a close watch on the diet: include
healthy food items to prevent fat accumulation.
When to consult a podiatrist?
Often
you may fail to recognize the culprit – the pair of shoes you wear. If
your foot condition does not improve, in spite of reducing body weight
and exercising regularly, then you need to visit a podiatrist: you need
to make sure your shoes are of right size and shape.
If
your shoes do not support properly your body weight, that would impact
directly your feet. In such a situation, your podiatrist can suggest a
pair of shoes that would best complement your feet for safe mobility and
good health.
To sum up, track your body weight regularly. Take prompt action the moment you feel something is wrong with your feet.
