A new study found that men with high body fat levels may be more prone to bone fractures compared to those with normal fat levels. According to the study, published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, men with elevated fat levels may be at greater risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break. These findings somewhat contradict previous studies that showed body fat mass—weight of body fat—has a positive or neutral effect on bone health, according to "Russia Today".
Healthcare providers often assume that individuals with higher weight have high bone density and are at low risk for fractures, making it unlikely for these patients to be screened for osteoporosis. However, the new results suggest that obesity can lead to a decrease in bone mineral density (the amount of calcium and minerals in bones) in those who are not typically considered at risk for fractures. Consequently, doctors should consider testing patients with high body weight for osteoporosis, especially if they have other risk factors like age, family history, or steroid use, says Dr. Rajesh Jain from the University of Chicago Medicine.
Dr. Jain stated, "We found that higher fat mass is linked to lower bone density, and these trends were stronger in men than in women." He added, "Our research indicates that the impact of body weight depends on an individual's composition of lean mass and fat mass, and that high body weight alone is not a guarantee against osteoporosis."
In contrast to body fat mass, lean mass is the total body weight, including organs, skin, and bones, minus the fat. Researchers analyzed bone mineral density and body composition data from 10,814 individuals under 60 years of age from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011 and 2018 in the United States. They found that being thin has a positive effect on bone mineral density for both men and women, but high fat mass has a moderate negative association with bone mineral density, particularly in men.
