TO: All obesity researchers, doctors, and patients.

The purpose of this yearly post is to stimulate interest and
discussion about the biomechanical effects of shoes on "age-related"
degenerative diseases, such as obesity.  Chiropodist Dr. Simon J.
Wikler pioneered efforts to understand the influences of shoes in the
1950's, but his work was neglected during the subsequent drug- and
diet-based approaches to medicine.  However, the prolific footwear
historian and podiatrist Dr. William A. Rossi clearly demonstrated
throughout his publications that shoes influence the posture of the
human body.  Therefore, using the posture-based approaches to medicine
of the distinguished orthopedist Dr. Joel E. Goldthwait, I have
expanded Dr. Wikler's insightful work to include a variety of
illnesses and conditions whose causes remain unknown.

Obesity and weight problems are just examples of conditions that are
related to the use of footwear.  After all, no diet has ever been
definitively identified by nutritionists to permanently control morbid
obesity.  Something else seems to be hindering the ability to lose
weight, and the trends in foot deformation fit perfectly.  For
example, the United States requires shoes to be worn constantly, and
obesity is visibly widespread.  But in Japan, modern shoes are removed
in the home or at some restaurants and offices, and obesity is rarely
evident.  Moreover, the increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes
that have affected younger ages seems to coincide precisely with the
material changes in footwear manufacturing over the last few decades.
The modern sneaker, which has an exceptionally thick and inflexible
sole, typifies these recent footwear changes.  Although American fast
food continues to take the popular blame for the growing incidence of
obesity around the world, it seems that American sneakers actually
deserve the attention.

You may find my thesis regarding shoes and disease on the Internet at:
http://www.shoebusters.com
Thank you very much for considering my novel approach.

James Semmel
Albuquerque, New Mexico