Abstract
Objective: With the rising prevalence of obesity and its impact on the lower extremities, this study aims to evaluate balance and gait parameters, specifically step width and foot angle (degree of toe-out), among university students.Methods: A total of 42 young adults (aged 20–30 years) of both genders were randomly selected. Participants were divided into two groups: a control group with normal body mass index (BMI: 18.5–24.9; n=21) and an experimental group with obese BMI (>30; n=21). Balance was assessed using the Functional Reach Test (FRT), while gait parameters were measured using the footprint method.Results: A significant difference in FRT scores was observed between the normal BMI group and the obese group (p=0.003). However, no significant differences were found in step width (p=0.655) or foot angle (degree of toe-out; p=0.198) between the two groups.Conclusion: The findings indicate that obesity negatively affects balance, as evidenced by FRT results. However, step width and foot angle measurements showed no statistically significant differences between normal-weight and obese participants.