MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Calorie restriction in overweight adults may lead to significant, favorable changes in body composition without affecting bone health over a six-month period, researchers report in the Sept. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Leanne M. Redman, Ph.D., of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., and colleagues evaluated the effect of calorie restriction on bone health by randomizing 46 overweight patients to one of four treatment groups during a six-month study: a healthy diet control group; a 25 percent calorie restriction group; a combination calorie restriction and aerobic exercise group; and a low-calorie diet followed by weight maintenance group (LCD group). Outcome measures included bone mineral density and measurement of serum bone markers at baseline and after six months.
While all groups lost weight, the LCD group lost the most with an average 13.9 percent reduction compared to baseline, while the calorie restriction/aerobic exercise, calorie restriction and control groups lost 10.0 percent, 10.4 percent and 1.0 percent of body weight compared to baseline, respectively, the researchers report. No significant changes in bone density were noted compared to the control group, but some markers of resorption and bone formation were increased and decreased, respectively, the report indicates.
"Our data do not support the notion that extreme weight loss (greater than 10 percent) over short periods (three months) has a worse prognosis on bone health than gradual weight loss achieved over six months by moderate calorie restriction with or without aerobic exercise," the authors conclude. "We speculate that in young individuals undergoing calorie restriction, minor adjustments in bone occur as a normal physiological adaptation to the reduced body mass. Further studies of longer duration are warranted and should include an assessment of bone architecture to ensure that bone quality is preserved with weight loss."
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
