New US research does not support the general belief that obesity increases bone mass and is therefore good for bone health. A new study where investigators corrected for the mechanical loading effect of increasing body weight, suggests the opposite.
Dr Hong-Wen Deng from the University of Missouri-Kansas City says the study found increasing body fat mass decreases bone mass in people of similar weight.
"Therefore, increasing obesity (fat mass) is not good for bone health," he said.
Dr Deng and colleagues say the finding is important because it suggests that interventions or treatments aimed at reducing obesity may increase bone mass and thus protect against osteoporosis.
Past studies on the relationship between obesity and osteoporosis did not control for the "mechanical loading effects" of a person's total body weight on bone mass, the report says.
Dr Deng's team re-evaluated the relationship between obesity and osteoporosis taking into account mechanical loading effects of total body weight on bone mass in more than 6,400 healthy adults.
The investigators say when the mechanical loading effect of body weight on bone mass was adjusted for, fat mass was negatively associated with bone mass.
This means in general, the greater the fat mass, the lower the bone mass.
The research team says the results of the study reaffirm the beneficial effects of appropriate weight-bearing and mechanical loading on a healthy skeletal system. SOURCE: © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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