If you haven’t seen Jamie Oliver’s Sugar Rush documentary on Channel 4 last week take a look here; www.channel4.com/programmes/jamies-sugar-rush
In this documentary, Jamie Oliver investigates the role sugar is playing in rising global health problems like obesity and type 2 diabetes, he reveals how much sugar is lurking in seemingly healthy-looking foods, and explores what we can do to raise awareness.
As part of the documentary Jamie visits the Podiatry department at the Royal Free Hospital to meet patients who have had life changing lower limb amputations as a result of diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes affects the nerves and blood vessels in the foot and leg, resulting in the simplest of cuts/scratches becoming ulcers and in some cases can lead to amputations. Many diabetics are unaware of the importance regular foot checks play in the overall diabetic care plan, often believing these amputations are extremely rare and will never affect them or their family, sadly it’s much more common than you may think; statistics show that in the UK up to 7000 amputations take place every year, that’s 130 people a week!
Diabetics should have regular foot checks with a HCPC registered Podiatrist for foot examination. A Podiatrist will inspect the skin, look for tender areas, test for sensory deficiencies and assess the perfusion of your foot.
Patients should also check the soles of the feet each day by looking, feeling, and noticing any changes in sensation.
If you would like to book a session with Tracy Byrne, owner of Holistic Health and enthusiastic Podiatrist, call us today on 020 7275 8434!
