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Obesity Is Bad To the Bones New research suggests being severely overweight causes damage to the bones, too 
Medical research has long shown that being severely overweight can put people at risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. However, many don’t realize that carrying all those extra pounds could also damage the bones. Now health experts are discovering that being obese may also lead to crippling bone problems, and the harm could start as early as childhood. If you believe that your girth protects your bones, you’re right to an extent. Health experts are most concerned about the osteoporosis risk for women with the lowest body weight, according to Sue A. Shapses, PhD., professor, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. But obesity may put your bones at risk as well, especially when accompanied by a sedentary lifestyle and crash dieting. Children who are grossly overweight may have abnormal bone development, according to Norman Pollock, PhD, assistant professor, Georgia Health Sciences University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta. Inactivity may be to blame. Exercise that increases physical stress on bones helps build or maintain bone mass in children and adults. “The lack of physical activity could be one of the biggest factors in this relationship,” says Pollock, who is studying childhood obesity and bone development. Adults who shun exercise aren’t helping their bones either. Although women are at greater risk for osteoporosis, men aren’t immune and should also get moving, according to the Rutgers bone-health expert. “It’s the astronaut model,” Shapses says.(Not having weight-bearing activities during space flights can result in decreased bone formation.) Even though dieting seems like the obvious solution, it should be done prudently. If you’re a premenopausal woman, losing a moderate amount of weight won’t take a big toll on your bones. “When you’re premenopausal you don’t have to worry about bone loss from dieting,” Shapses says. If you’re a postmenopausal woman, you should be especially diligent about eating adequate protein and getting sufficient calcium and vitamin D, according to Shapses, who conducts research on weight loss and its effect on bone quality. (The current guidelines are 600 IU of vitamin D up to age 70; then an increase to 800 IU daily. Calcium recommendations are 1,000 milligrams from food or food and supplements daily. At age 51 women should increase their calcium intake to 1,200 milligrams and at age 71 men should increase their intake to 1,200 milligrams as well.) Moderate, not extreme dieting, may also protect your bones if you’re a post-menopausal woman trying to lose weight. Don’t avoid necessary weight loss just to protect your bones. Losing weight will improve your overall health. “You have to lose weight. Period; if you are obese,” says Shapses. For children, dieting isn’t the answer, according to Pollock. “I’m against reducing calories for children and adolescents,” he says. Instead he recommends physical activities such as running along with exercises that develop balance. “If I had to pick one [activity] it would be weight bearing that gets you breathing hard or sweating,” Pollock says. Do you know whether your weight could be taking a toll on your bones? One way to tell is to check your body mass index (BMI), a ratio of your weight to height. Health experts define obese as having a BMI greater than or equal to 30. As the number increases so may bone issues. “Above 35 [people] become at much greater risk of compromised bone quality,” Shapses says. Your waist circumference–greater than 35 inches for women; 40 inches for men–is another indicator of potential bone density problems. Check dashes To check your BMI, visit the website of the National Institutes of Health: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.htm
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Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
