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Eye on Health: Foot condition a possible side effect of rapid weight loss
byFrancesca Onofrio,WSBT22Reporter
Tue, August 11, 2026 at 6:00 PM
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Doctors are now warning of a possible correlation between rapid weight loss and a condition that can make it difficult to lift or move your foot. (WSBT FILE photo)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) —Doctors are now warning of a possible correlation between rapid weight loss and a condition that can make it difficult to lift or move your foot
At Beacon Health System, neurosurgeons say they’re seeing more patients coming in with weakness in the foot. A condition known as foot drop
In this month’s Eye on Health, WSBT 22’s Francesca Onofrio explains what doctors are seeing and what Beacon Health System wants patients taking GLP-1 medications to know about a potential side effect
Foot drop is simple, it’s just like its name. You can go from your foot working like it’s supposed to and then it suddenly decides it no longer wants to help you out
And doctors say it could be caused by a simple nerve injury. It can begin with a subtle slapping step or tripping while walking and can progress to a complete inability to lift the foot
As weight loss drugs or the use of GLP 1s are on the rise across the country. More side effects are showing up and foot drop is no exception
When you lose weight, you lose fat. And sometimes that fat protects vital nerves from injury
“…one of the big reasons for that is something called peroneal neuropathy. The peroneal nerve runs along the lateral side of the knee. I can show you that here. It’s right about here. The normal course of it has fat surrounding it to protect it. When people lose a lot of weight rapidly, they lose it everywhere,” said Dr. Kashif Shaikh, Neurosurgeon.
With more and more patients coming in with varying levels of foot drop, some experience it after a long car ride. Others from crossing their legs for too long or, in extreme cases, from an injury itself
And before any major or invasive testing, there are some easier ways to find out just what’s going on
“On exam, they have trouble lifting their foot, as well as with what we call eversion, moving it outward. Other signs are tapping where the nerve is located, and they can kind of get an exacerbation of that numbness and tingling that they feel on the top of their foot,” said Heidi Schelstraete, Nurse Practitioner
This isn’t the first time foot drop has been a known side effect of weight loss
Doctors are now warning of a possible correlation between rapid weight loss and a condition that can make it difficult to lift or move your foot. (WSBT FILE photo)
Nearly four decades ago, in the 1980’s, crash diets were known to have this side effect
But as those faded out so did concerns of foot drop
Foot drop is a sliding scale of severity, and sometimes it can be cured just by moving around. Early intervention is important
“They don’t need, you know, an MRI of everything. They don’t need a lumbar puncture. They may just need a nerve study and some, you know, advice on lifestyle modification, and oftentimes that alone will get them better,” said Dr. Shaikh
Doctors say peroneal neuropathy remains a relatively uncommon condition, but with more people losing weight rapidly. It’s something they want patients and providers to keep on their radar
If you notice new numbness or difficulty lifting your foot, go see your doctor
