When Losing Weight Causes Osteoporosis

If you’re overweight or obese (and who isn’t these days), you probably consider losing weight as something that is healthy and good.

But a study just presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research reveals that losing weight the wrong way can drastically increase your risk of or worsen osteoporosis and bone fracture.

From previous studies, the researchers knew that premenopausal women were at risk of rapid and substantial risk of bone mineral density loss after weight loss or bariatric surgery. They wanted to know whether the same risk applied to older men, who represent a demographic opposite to the typical bariatric patient.

To find out, they analyzed data from 8,299 U.S. veterans who underwent various bariatric procedures between 2000 and 2020. These participants were compared with 24,877 obese individuals who did not have surgery. The study was careful to exclude individuals who already had high fracture risks due to other conditions.

Demographically, the study group was predominantly male (70%), with an average age of 52 years. The racial composition was primarily White (72%) and Black (18%).

After adjusting for demographic differences and co-occurring health conditions, this is what they found:

1. In general, bariatric surgery was associated with a 68% increased risk of fracture: 242% higher for hip, 82% higher for spine, 238% higher for forearm, 56% higher for upper arm, 241% higher for pelvis, and 50% higher for lower leg and ankle fractures.

2. The most popular type of surgery, sleeve gastrectomy, increased fracture risk by 50%, while Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass increased it by 93%.

3. Compared with sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric banding was associated with a 34% decreased risk of fracture.

Therefore, like their female counterparts, older men undergoing surgical weight loss face higher fracture risks compared to those who do not undergo surgery.

A better way to lose weight is to load your body with an essential ingredient it needs to lose weight. Best of all, this ingredient is completely free, as explained here…

And if you’re already suffering osteoporosis, learn how to strengthen your bones and heal yourself using the simple lifestyle changes explained here…