Can Weight Loss Cause Bone Loss?
As your body slims down, did you know that your bones may become less dense and more fragile, too?
Well, okay, that might not surprise you. But here’s something that should…
… the possible harmful effects of weight loss on your bones can continue during your weight maintenance phase, even if you’ve only lost a small amount of weight.
Yikes!
It’s all about something called bone remodeling. That’s when the old bone breaks down and new bone is formed. When you lose weight, that process happens at a faster rate.
But some University of Missouri and University of Kansas researchers found that remodeling continues at an unusually high rate even during a 9-month weight maintenance period when people increase the number of calories they eat.
The scientists studied 37 middle-aged, obese adults who reduced their weight by about 20% with a severe calorie-restricted diet.
The more body weight the subjects lost, the more their bones broke down.
But there appeared to be no greater or lesser effect with low-fat or low-carb diets during the maintenance phase. Gender made no difference, either.
For women, it also didn’t matter if they were in menopause or taking hormone replacement therapy.
The researchers couldn’t draw solid conclusions about the effect of this faster bone remodeling process during weight maintenance.
But they suggest that people who intend to lose a lot of weight should think about doing high-impact, weight-bearing physical exercise. They should also make sure they get enough calcium.
Of course, talk to your doctor first. But you already knew that.
Technorati Tags: weight loss, lose weight, obesity, bone loss, bone remodeling
