Happy Woman Adjusting Balance Weight ScaleObesity is a major problem, especially in the United States where it is the cause of numerous preventative health issues. While news on obesity frequently makes headlines, most physicians rarely focus on everything that this extra weight can do to your body. You may know about the impacts on your heart, lungs, and other organs, however, they’re not the only things gaining or losing a few pounds impacts.

 

If you struggle with your weight, it can also have a detrimental effect on your feet and could be the reason they’re so sore at the end of the day. Let’s look at the impact of being overweight when it comes to your feet, and how you can improve your feet over time.

 

How Obesity Affects Your Feet

As people  gain weight, they will begin to notice increasing pain in their feet. Over time, this can develop into problems including arthritis. Arthritis is something that usually comes with age, but the more you weigh, the more likely you are to develop it at a younger age.  Being overweight can also cause you to have tired feet from walking and standing.

 

Many individuals have also noticed that their ankles become weaker as their weight increases. This can cause many issues with your feet and ankles over time, which can cause lifelong injuries,which can only be treated through medicine and physical therapy. This can have a very negative impact on your life, which is why you need to focus on losing weight to lessen how obesity affects your feet.

 

Foot Health Implications for Overweight Individuals

There are many different implications for foot health because of how obesity affects your feet. Let’s take a look at a few implications obesity has:

 

  • People who are overweight have a higher chance of becoming diabetic. Diabetes is something that needs to be managed properly in order to keep your entire body healthy, including your feet. Proper blood sugar control is vital.
  • Overweight individuals are at higher risk for foot conditions than those with a lower weight and BMI. These conditions range from exhaustion to more serious problems.
  • Without proper footwear, excess weight can put strain on your feet, causes poor posture and alignment.

How to Improve the Impact on Your Feet

Now that you know about the implications and how obesity affects your feet, let’s take a look at how you can improve or mitigate the impact on your feet.

 

  1. Diet Changes to Lose Weight

The most obvious thing to do is to change your diet to help you lose weight.  Make sure you are eating healthy foods that help improve foot health for things such as inflammation. If you are diabetic, make sure you are managing your blood sugar and keeping it in a healthy range for your feet and body.

 

  1. Mild to Moderate Exercise and Aerobics

In order to lose weight to change how obesity affects your feet, you need to make sure you are exercising. You should always make sure to do things that are healthy for your heart and ease into various workouts. Consider doing mild to moderate exercises and aerobics to improve heart health, but to also lessen the impact of exercising on your feet. This can cause more problems for your feet. Once you start losing weight you can do harder workouts.

 

  1. Wearing Orthotic Shoes

As you go through a weight loss transition, you should make sure you are wearing orthotic shoes. These provide excellent support and cushioning that can help lessen how obesity affects your feet and allow you to have significantly less pain than you would with regular shoes. These will not cure your feet of problems caused by obesity, but they can help as you lose weight.

 

If you are looking for great orthotic shoes as you go through your weight loss journey, take a look at The Orthotic Shop! We have excellent orthotic shoes for everyday life, as well as for working out. Contact us today to learn more about how our shoes can help you!