The list of health risks related
to obesity seems to be growing with findings in research. A recent unexpected
finding comes from a study suggesting that there is a relationship between
obesity and osteoporosis.
The study, which was published in
Radiology, included a total of 106
obese men and women between the ages of 19 and 45. All of the participants
underwent body scans, provided various tissue samples and completed exercise
questionnaires. The key findings indicated that obese individuals had above
average amounts of bone marrow fat in areas where they ought to have had bone
marrow. As a consequence of this, they were at higher risk of having weaker
bones and even developing osteoporosis.
Although past studies have indicated that individuals with
osteoporosis have above average levels of bone marrow fat, the current findings
appear counter-intuitive, as osteoporosis is a condition that has generally been
linked with frail individuals. As such, we have to admit that the findings from
the current study were somewhat surprising.
Yet it is hard to ignore what the study found, given that
several advanced tests were carried out. If the results were to be replicated
in other populations, then it would raise questions about the underlying cause
of osteoporosis, and potentially have an impact on how treatments of both
osteoporosis and obesity are being conducted. However, this scenario is a long
way from what we know today and is only one of several potential scenarios.
The
current study can be found here.