Final answer:
Overweight individuals may have a higher center of gravity leading to a wider base of support and altered gait to maintain stability. Their walking style can be more burdened, and they might use more muscle effort to balance, potentially resulting in ataxia. These differences are assessed in neurological exams that test posture and gait for coordination and balance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences in Postural Balance and Walking Gait of Overweight Individuals
Overweight individuals often exhibit differences in postural balance and walking gait compared to those with a normal weight. A larger body mass can affect the center of gravity (cg), making it higher and often leading to changes in stability when standing and walking. Overweight individuals might adopt a wider base of support by spreading their feet further apart to increase stability, which can alter their walking gait and lead to a more plodding movement pattern.
Testing posture and gait, as part of a neurological exam, helps in assessing the coordination and balance functions of the cerebellum. Since excessive body fat changes how the body mass is distributed, an overweight person's posture during walking and balance subtests, such as the station or Romberg test, might display altered balance dynamics.
Moreover, overweight individuals may have a more labored walking style and use more muscular effort to maintain balance, especially in the front-to-back direction. Different variations of the walking test, like tandem gait, heel-to-toe walking, or walking on heels or toes only, can reveal additional aspects of balance that might be affected by excess weight. Consequently, excess body weight can affect the ability to maintain balance and posture consistently during movement, potentially leading to ataxia or uncoordinated movements.