With 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles per foot its no wonder our feet feel the pressure when we put on a little weight. Our feet are the most used part of our body, an average person walks 115,000 miles that’s enough to walk round the world 4 times. There are many complaints associated with weight gain, our feet seem to be one part of our body that we all neglect.
As we put on weight, our feet feel the full brunt of all the extra pressure, so causing feet problems. These conditions are very painful and in many cases stop that person from walking. Many obese people are caught in a ‘no win’ cycle between their feet and weight loss, they have put so much pressure on their ankles, toes and heels that it is almost impossible to stand on them never mind do any exercise, so they get depressed and eat more food so the cycle begins again.
Many feet problems can be rectified by weight loss and non surgical procedures, here are a few of the major problems…
Swollen feet, this is the most common problem with obese and overweight people and may be a sign of arthritis or diabetes, you should speak to your doctor if this persists.
Spurs, another problem caused by being overweight, calcium builds up around the bones of the feet again this can be extremely painful.
Plantar Fasciitis, this is the fibrous band that stretches across the foot from toes to heel, this is what helps maintain the structure of the foot. In obese people this may be very painful for about 1 hr after getting up in the morning, or until it stretches or the swelling goes down on the feet.
In many cases a proper calorie controlled weight loss program and simple exercise (swimming and non moving cycle) will help keep your feet in working order.
