Compared to the obesity epidemic, the osteoporosis epidemic seems almost invisible. Because health care professionals are concerned about your heart and arteries, they often encourage weight loss to lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure, and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, they probably are not considering the potential negative effect of weight loss on your bones, especially for older individuals.
It is well known that weight loss can take a toll on bone density - especially rapid weight loss in women over 50 years of age. This weight loss to bone loss relationship has been studied more in women, but the limited research on men indicates that they can be affected much the same way.
In general, people with low body weight have lower bone mass and greater risk of bone fractures than obese people of similar age. Obese people generally have about 20 percent more bone mineral content than their thin friends.
Weight Management with Bones in Mind
First of all, ask yourself, “Do I really need to lose weight?” You may be a bit heavier than you would like. But, if you are physically active, maintaining a stable weight, eating a balanced diet, and don’t have any other risk factors for chronic diseases, your weight may be right for your genetics - even though it might not get you on the cover of the latest fashion magazine.If you really do need to lose weight, here is the best way to do it with bone health in mind:
- Lose weight very gradually - max of one pound per week
- Meet all your nutrient needs - especially calcium and vitamin D
- Lose weight mainly by increasing physical activity
- If you need to cut calories in your diet, mainly cut the fat calories
- Keep protein intake adequate