The risk assessment for being overweight is often presented in terms of how overweight can affect the body's internal organs. It's a sensible approach. Being overweight can compromise the brain, heart, lungs, digestive tract, and other internal organs as well. But an often overlooked risk factor for overweight people is how excessive body weight can compromise the body's external parts. It's a genuine risk.

Hauling excessive body weight can potentially cause harm to a variety of external body parts. The feet are one example. The feet typically endure a pounding in any case. For people who have standard mobility, the feet are an invaluable method of transportation. Even with automobiles and elevators and escalators and the like, the feet are still in frequent daily use, moving us about once we've gotten out of our car, or off the elevator or the escalator.

Placing an additional burden on the feet through overweight can cause genuine distress. The ligaments and muscles of the feet can be quickly overworked under excess body weight, and strains and even tears can result. The feet's bones, some of which are quite delicate, can suffer stress fractures from being overworked. And, of course, the feet pounding about under extra weight can lead to generally sore feet. As is true with many things, one may not appreciate the important role of the feet -- until they've become physically compromised, that is.

When standing or walking about, the full weight of the body is typically on the feet. While the legs don't support quite as much weight as the feet usually do, and with two legs for extra support besides, the legs most certainly can present damage from helping to carry an overweight physique. The shins and knees both can wear down with stress injuries from carrying too much weight. A weight bearing injury to the shins or the knees would likely require some lessening of weight burden -- or the endurance of a tremendous amount of pain -- essentially stopping, for a while at least, natural mobility. Then what?

Moving about naturally while carrying excess weight is burdensome enough. How hard to get around would it be for an overweight person on crutches? The answer is it would be exceptionally difficult. Would the better option be a wheelchair? Maybe, but getting about in a wheelchair -- attempting to navigate a world mostly built for mobile people from a fairly immobile position -- can be extremely difficult, not to mention quite frustrating. There's also the issue of immobility slowing down physical activity, which could cause someone overweight to become even heavier.

It's potentially a terrible loop to get caught in, and it underscores why the possible physical toll on one's body is just one more reason to shed excess body weight.