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Obesity could damage children's feet, according to new research at UEL

Wednesday 6 December 2006

As concern over childhood obesity grows, a University of East London (UEL) researcher has published new research that suggests a link between excessive weight and serious foot problems in children.

Dr Stewart Morrison is Lecturer in Podiatric Medicine at the UEL School of Health and Bioscience, based at Stratford. He announced his findings at the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists conference in Brighton on Thursday 23 November.

Dr Morrison studied a group of 200 children aged 9-12. He showed that excessive body mass led to structural foot changes, causing obese children to develop feet up to 15mm longer and 7 millimetres wider than those of normal weight children. In extreme cases, the difference rose to 18mm in length and 15mm in width.

A further study of 9-11-year-olds found that excessive body mass led to instability when walking, with obese children walking at a slower pace and spending significantly more time balancing on two feet, rather than one, in comparison to normal weight children.

Dr Morrison said: “Our feet are highly specialised parts of our body and they bear the brunt of our weight in every single stride. They are designed to absorb the shock of walking and running but, under the stress of excess weight and obesity, the delicate nature of children’s feet can make them particularly susceptible to deformity and structural abnormalities.

“The results of my research support the view that excessive body fat has a detrimental impact on children’s feet by changing the structure of their feet. Obese children are less stable when walking and cannot walk efficiently. There are several possible explanations: as well as the extra weight putting extra pressure on the joint interactions, there may well be a hormonal association with the excessive mass, causing excess fatty tissue or increased bone formation.”

UEL’s BSc (Hons) degree in Podiatric Medicine degree brings together theory and practice to equip students with the skills required for professional practice as a podiatrist. The new UEL Centre for Clinical Education in Podiatry, Physiotherapy and Sports Science at Stratford is London’s sole provider of clinical and training facilities in podiatry.

For further information about Podiatric Medicine at UEL, contact Charlotte Parslow on 020 8223 4124 or visit www.uel.ac.uk/hab

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For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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