Childhood Obesity and Foot Problems

Childhood obesity is a growing threat worldwide today. Considerable focus is on various health problems related to this threat that may continue onto teenage years and adulthood.

However, foot health related to this issue remains a largely neglected domain. With pain in the lower legs and feet on the one hand and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle on the other, it has become a vicious cycle, which is extremely a tough task for a child to break.

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Foot problems of obese children

Heel pain: Obese children carry an additional body weight; the excessive pressure they put on their feet often flattens it, causing the plantar fascia (the flat band of tissue connecting your heel bone to your toes) abnormal strain. This is a key cause of heel pain of obese children.

Sever’s disease: The heel bone isn’t developed completely until a child is 14 years or older. Overweight children often fall prey to Sever’s disease – a painful inflammation of the heel’s growth plate  due to repetitive stress and muscle strain. Since children are likely to walk or move around a lot, it worsens the pain. Due to the excessive weight obese children put on their feet, their heel bones may even suffer hairline fractures or stress fractures.

Arch/calf muscle pain: Pain in the arch of the foot or calf muscle is another common complaint in overweight children, which often makes it difficult for them to run or walk.

Congenital foot problems: Inherited or congenital foot conditions like the following may be noticed in some obese children: hammertoes, bunions, tarsal coalition (an abnormal bond between two or more bones located towards the back portion of the foot and heel) and pediatric flatfoot.   Overweight aggravates these conditions.

Slower gait: Obese children often face the prospects of developing an unsteady, slower gait; this is because they try to retain balance as they carry around their excessive body weight. They become habituated, over a period, to a wider stance and an increasingly hesitant, slower walk; as their gait slows, their instability increases. They may have less flexible feet and growing discomfort levels.

Making obese children physically active

The following ideas ensure obese children to be physically active:

 ·       Limiting their time for TV, the internet, or onscreen games

 ·       Making them go for a regular morning/evening walk

 ·      Presenting them with a pet  to play with and run about

·   Organizing for them physical/fun group activities in the backyard or the nearby park

 ·      Enrolling them in swimming/dance/soccer classes

 ·      Making them play tag or skipping rope

Combating childhood obesity

It’s best to have a coordinated team approach to address issues related to childhood obesity. Parents, teachers and childcare providers can work together to help children develop and stick to healthy eating habits, follow a workout routine and live an active life.

A reputed podiatrist in your area can: monitor periodically your child’s ankles, feet, knee, hips and legs; create awareness of foot health; suggest how injuries can be avoided; treat potential symptoms of diabetes development and/or bio mechanical issues; correct gait asymmetries, if any; address any other problem that demands attention. 

Childhood obesity has a close connection with several foot problems that are likely to assume psychological dimensions, if unattended. Therefore, it’s important for you as a parent, to ensure that your child eats a healthy meal, avoids untimely snacks and junk food and follows a firm workout routine.