More Bosh
April 6th, 2005 by Nandini Seshadri Sturdy heels ‘damage knees’
(dated 5 April, 2001 at news.bbc.co.uk)
This article reviews the second (2001) research findings on high heels conducted by Harvard Medical School as reported in the Lancet Medical Journal. With all due respect to the researchers, I strongly disagree with their approach and findings.
The basis of their research was that “osteoarthritis of the knee is twice as common in women as in men”. Then, they gathered 20 healthy women and studied them in “wide-heeled” versus “narrow-heeled” high heels.
What these researchers should have done was use epidemiological field research techniques in tracking down the women and men with osteoarthritis in their knees and finding out their use of high heels in detail. Then, draw conclusions from this data. I am curious to find out the percentages of these women and men who actually wore high heels, whether they wore chunky or stiletto high heels, the number hours they stood and walked in high heels, and whether the men thought they looked good in high heels.
Also, this study did not consider how people’s weight might affect their knees. Women’s knees (and ankles) are more flexible than men’s, hence more delicate. This greater flexibility allow women to get up on their toes and do ballet on pointe dancing, while men can not.
Weight can stop a freight train. Excess weight can damage people’s legs, especially the knees. I would also like to find out from these women and men who have osteoarthritis in their knees, what their history of being overweight is.
Nandini Seshadri wrote this on April 6th, 2005 and filed it under High Heels |
