Fact Check: No scientific evidence to prove ageing starts from the feet
Social media users are sharing a post that claims that ageing starts from the feet. The post reads, “If the feet are weak, it is old age. Old age starts from the feet up.”
By Newsmeter Network Published on 10 Jan 2022 3:32 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Social media users are sharing a post that claims that ageing starts from the feet. The post reads, "If the feet are weak, it is old age. Old age starts from the feet up."
Fact Check:
The claim is false.
According to the World Health Organization, there are some common health conditions associated with ageing, including hearing loss, cataracts, diabetes, dementia, and osteoarthritis. "At the biological level, different types of nuclear and cellular damage occur gradually with age. Over time, this loss leads to a gradual decrease in physical and mental capacity, a growing risk of disease, and a general decline in individual capacity. In the end, it leads to death," a WHO article read.
It further said that these changes are neither linear nor consistent and they are only loosely associated with a person's age in years.
Physiologists have found that the performance of many organs such as the heart, kidneys, brain, and lungs shows a gradual decline over the life span. Part of this decline is due to loss of cells from these organs, with resultant reduction in the reserve capacities of the individual. (Source: Britannica)
Feet and ageing
The feet are one of the most important parts of the body. They enable a person to walk, run, and climb. According to the article 'What Growing Old does to Your Feet', as one grows older, "The foot's ligaments, fascia and skin start to lose elasticity, while the skin begins to harden. Your toenails become thicker, your foot muscles become weaker, and the fatty, connective tissue and pads in the sole of your foot start to atrophy."
Many changes occur but there is no scientific evidence that ageing starts from the feet.
Click here to check the anatomy of the foot.
One study found that two weeks of inactivity reduced leg muscle strength in the elderly and the young. But, nowhere does it say that ageing starts from the feet.
Hence, the claim that ageing starts from the feet is false. There is no scientific evidence to support the claim.
