When you mention the word gout, most think of a quaint ailment in history suffered by the likes of King Henry VIII or Pope Pius VII, but nothing could be further from the truth.Gout is a type of extremely painful arthritis and is on the rise in the United States. More than 8 million Americans suffer from the condition and the rates have doubled in the last 50 years.
Gout was once considered a disease of the upper class, but we now know that gout can strike anyone. Especially the obese.
Losing To Win! author Randy Jernigan was diagnosed with the condition at an early age, "I suffered with gout for most of my life and the pain was so horrible at times that I'd be wheelchair bound," the writer explains. "but the condition finally went away when I lost my excess weight and began eating a healthy diet."
Jernigan's weight-loss journey was chronicled in the book Losing To Win! published November of 2013. He was able to lose 160 lbs. with diet and exercise and claimed to have beat his hypertension and diabetes with his diet plan.
A gout attack happens when someone has high levels of uric acid in their body which usually settles around joints in the feet or knees. Most medical experts agree that gout is brought on by poor diet and physical condition.
According to medical professionals, the best way to care for gout is to change your eating habits and get plenty of exercise. There are medications that can relieve some of the pain but can be harsh on the stomach.