WELCOME TO FOOT HEALTH WEEK 2008 It’s easy to take the two feet we are born with for granted but just try living life without them! Our feet are incredibly complex parts of the body. Each foot 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. To remind us of the importance of maintaining healthy feet, the Australasian Podiatry Council stages Foot Health Week each year to underline the strong links between foot health and individual well being and mobility. Foot Health Week 2008 runs from Sunday October 12th to Saturday October 18th and the theme for this year’s event is how Obesity Can Damage Your Feet. Obesity Obesity is a growing problem for our society. Around 7.4 million Australians, almost half of all adults, are over weight. Almost one in three of these are obese, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s biennial national Australia’s Health 2008 snapshot. The same report also noted that around 3 in 10 children and young people are overweight, or obese. The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2005 National Health Survey found that in middle age groups as many as 72% of men and 58% of women were overweight or obese. Obesity can put people at risk of long-term foot, leg, back and other chronic health problems – including type 2 Diabetes, certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure - as carrying extra weight negatively affects every part of the body. The physical state of becoming over weight or obese arises through a prolonged energy imbalance. Although many factors may influence a person’s weight, according to the AIHW, a sustained energy imbalance need only be minor for weight gain to occur. According to the World Health Organisation, some people may be more likely to gain weight than others because of genetic and biological factors. High body weight was estimated by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) to be responsible for 7.6% of the total disease burden in Australia during 2003. In 2006, Access Economics estimated that the total financial cost of obesity in Australia in 2005 was nearly $4 billion, around 0.4% of gross domestic product. Obesity linked to Foot Development Problems According to Australian podiatrists, being obese or over weight has a negative impact on the way the foot and lower limb functions during walking, running and other physical activities. Obesity can also put extra pressure on the joints in the foot, leading to problems in the way the foot aligns and functions. Excess weight can damage the delicate and immature nature of children’s feet, leaving them at particular risk of developing foot deformities and abnormalities. Obese children have wider and longer feet than normal, according to research by British Podiatrists. Obese children were also found to have problems balancing and tended to walk at a slower pace. Excess weight in older age has been seen to impair mobility, participation in social activities and quality of life. It is estimated by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare that Australian females aged 30 to 34 in 1980, gained 12kg as they aged to 50 to 54 years of age in 2000, while the average Australian male in the same age group gained over 8kg during the same 20 year period. The International Journal of Obesity found in a 2001 study that foot problems in obese children could prevent them from participating in exercise and other forms of physical activity. Australian podiatrists say this finding underlines the importance of focussing on the prevention of obesity, not cure. Obesity and Diabetes Diabetes is becoming more common in Australia with its prevalence at least doubling during the past two decades, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Australia’s Health 2008 report. The inter-relationship between diabetes and obesity is clear: being obese or over weight and having poor nutritional habits are key drivers of the onset of Type-2 Diabetes. The food we eat produces sugar, which is absorbed into the cells with the help of insulin to give us energy. When sugar does not get absorbed into the cells – because not enough insulin is produced by our pancreas or because insulin is not used effectively by the body - it remains in the blood and causes high blood sugar levels. Diabetes can lead to damage to blood vessels and nerves, reduced blood flow to the feet, a reduction in the ability of sufferers to feel their feet and increased risk of developing foot ulcers and infection. Sometimes, amputation of the affected limb becomes inevitable. The proportion of adults with diabetes reporting they were overweight or obese - or undertaking little or no regular exercise - was notably higher than for other non-afflicted adults, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2005 National Health Survey. Registered Clinical Trials have demonstrated that regular podiatric care of patients with high risk diabetic feet significantly reduces infection rates, hospital admission days, re-ulceration, foot amputations and mortalities. Type 1 Diabetes Type 1 Diabetes mostly arises in children or young adults, although it can occur at any age. Accounting for between 10 and 15% of all diabetes cases, Type 1 Diabetes occurs because of the failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin or because insulin is not effectively used by the body. People suffering Type 1 Diabetes need insulin replacement for survival. Type 2 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes is not common amongst people under the age of 40. Type 2 diabetes occurs when not enough insulin is produced by our pancreas or because insulin is not used effectively by the body. Diabetic foot problems can result in significant social, medical and economic consequences and constitute the most common reason for Australian hospital admissions, according to La Trobe University’s Department of Podiatry. Reducing The Impacts of Obesity on Feet
Media Contact To interview an Australian podiatrist, or to obtain other Foot Health Week media information, please contact Australasian Podiatry Council Communication Manager Henry Pepper on 03 9416 3111 or 0439 252 898. Feet Facts and Stats Feet are incredibly complex parts of the body. Each foot 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 will keep growing and developing throughout childhood and adolescence. Feet grow most rapidly during childhood, as many parents already know kids can change their shoe size every few months. Childrens feet will reach half the average adult size by the age of 18 months on average. By the time the average person reaches an age of 50, they will have lost up to half of the shock-absorbing capacity of the natural foot pad. 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. An estimated 10 to 20% of children have flat feet. This condition is not necessarily a problem but if flat feet cause pain, affect mobility or interfere with sport and other activities, they should be investigated by your podiatrist. General Foot Care Hints When shopping for new foot wear, you should consider:
A visit to your local podiatrist is recommended if:
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