Is weight loss important for running injury recovery?

The other day in the Recovering Runner's Aid Station, I got a great question: “If I get stress and strain on my foot, because I'm overweight, should losing weight be part of the strategy to actually get my foot to recover as fast as possible?” There are lots of ways to reduce the stress and strain on one injured part of your foot.   Obviously, the more your body weight, the more pressure on your foot when you stand, walk or run. Sometimes doctors will tell patients, "If you weighed 20 pounds less or 40 pounds less, well, there'd be less stress and strain on your foot...and you would heal faster." But it's an unrealistic strategy for several reasons. Should weight loss be a part of your running injury recovery strategy?  Well, that's what we're talking about today on the Doc on the Run podcast.