Gravity. It’s heavy and moves DOWN. Since our feet are on the bottom, they take a lot of load especially if one is obese. When you consider force, physics, and gravity all stressing feet–every extra pound beyond a normal amount of body fat makes the job more difficult. Walking seems so innocent, yet even walking produces 2-3X the amount of body weight in force PER STEP. Anyone that has less than efficient gait will go into the 3X category–basically most Americans since we no longer have good structure or “natural” body composition (while it is “normal” to see obesity, it’s NOT natural).
Sad but true–feet are brutalized. If you want healthy feet–lighten the load. Remove extra body fat. Learn to walk softly and efficiently. Wear foot-healthy shoes that help your feet work harder to create a more stable foundation. Check out my Ground Forces Math post for related information or my Products Section for more information.