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 Walk
Your Way to Better Health/ American Podiatric
Medical Association podiatrists monitor walkers'
roadblocks
BETHESDA,
Md., April 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- What if someone told you,
you could walk your way to better health? With 65 percent of
American adults considered to be overweight or obese, walking may be
one way to battle the bulge. However, if you lack motivation, a
prescription to walk may be just what the doctor ordered.
That's the
premise behind a 48-week pilot walking program conducted by 16
member physicians of the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).
The study, funded by APMA, examines two groups
of nearly 250 overweight patients located across
the country. The objective is to determine if a
podiatrist's care can make a difference in
maintaining a long-term walking routine. The
participants will be randomly assigned to one of
two groups.
Group A
participants will be given a written walking program and doctor
discussions about the benefits of a walking program.
These patients will be given a walking
prescription which will include a 12 week
calendar to document steps taken per day
from the pedometer.
Group B patients
will receive no walking prescription, no hand-outs, and no doctor
discussions about the benefits of a walking program and will only be
given a pedometer and instructions to walk. Body mass index (BMI),
cholesterol, blood pressure and other health stats will be monitored
on a regular basis for both groups.
To qualify for
the study, patients must be 18 years or older, at risk for obesity
with a BMI of 27 or higher and cleared to participate in the study
with no major health conditions, such
as a heart
attack, stroke or loss of sensation in the feet. Both groups will
receive a free pair of Asics walking shoes to utilize in the study.
"Our walking
study helps cement two important concepts," said Dr. Bryan Caldwell,
the principal investigating podiatrist in the study and a professor
at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. "We have known for years
the health benefits of walking, as well as the positive impact a
podiatrist's guidance can have on his or her patient's health. We
hope the combination of the two will result in a positive outcome
for people who struggle with their weight on a daily basis and will
ultimately save lives."
Obesity is the
second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. A poor diet
and lack of physical activity are two of the biggest contributing
factors. For this reason, podiatrists participating in the study
will record participants' weight and amount of steps every four
weeks using software designed specifically for podiatric research
and information sharing from Integrated Physician Systems.
"Implementation of a viable walking program under the care of a
podiatrist has
great potential," said APMA President Dr. David Schofield.
"Podiatrists
have a vested interest in their patients' well being, without
healthy feet,
walking is not an option."
For more
information about APMA's walking study or how to gear up for
walking, go to
http://www.apma.org/walking.
Founded in 1912,
the American Podiatric Medical Association represents the nation's
premier foot and ankle physicians. The Association has component
societies in 53 locations in the U.S. and its territories and a
membership of close to 11,500 doctors of podiatric medicine. For
free foot health information, contact APMA at 1-800-FOOTCARE
(1-800-366-8227) or visit
http://www.apma.org on the Web.
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