Dieting can Lead to Bone Loss

Ivanhoe Newswire
Friday, December 22, 2006; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Trying to lose weight by cutting calories without exercising may make your bones weaker.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis looked at the effects of weight loss on bone loss in overweight adults for a recent study. Participants were divided into three groups: one had a calorie-restricted diet; another had the same number of calories and started an exercise program; the third just got information on healthy lifestyles when they asked for it.

After one year, results show those in the calorie-restricted group lost an average of 18.1 pounds, participants in the exercise group lose 14.8 pounds and those in the healthy lifestyle group maintained their weight.

The findings also show the calorie-restricted group lost an average of 2.2 percent of their bone density in the lower spine, 2.2 percent in the hip, and 2.1 percent at the top end of the femur -- all areas where the elderly are likely to have fractures. There were no big changes in bone density for the people in the exercise or healthy lifestyle groups.

"A common explanation given for the bone loss induced weight loss is reduction in mechanical stress on the weight-bearing skeleton (i.e., hip and spine)," write the authors. "Accordingly, the preservation of bone mineral density in the exercise group could be mediated through exercise-induced bone loading."

Researchers say exercise stimulates bone growth. So if you want to lose weight and protect your bones, the best way to do it is to combine both diet and exercise.

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SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2006;166:2502-2510