Dieting Women May Lose Bone Mass That Doesn't Return

From the L.A. Times. The solution is in the next story below.

"Postmenopausal women who lose weight can also lose bone mass. But a study finds that regaining that weight doesn't necessarily replace the lost bone.

The small, exploratory study included 23 overweight women who had been through menopause and were not taking any hormone therapy or drugs that might affect their bone metabolism. Women are at high risk for osteoporosis after menopause.

For six months, the women participated in a regular program of endurance exercise to encourage weight loss of about 9 to 11 pounds. After that, the women were followed for a year. They were tested for bone density at the beginning of the study as well as six and 18 months later. Almost 40% had osteoporosis at the beginning of the study.

On average, the women lost about 8.6 pounds of fat, and after 18 months -- a year after they stopped exercising -- they had gained back an average of 6.4 pounds, almost all of it fat.

During the six months, the women also lost bone density in their lumbar spines and hips, and there was no significant bone recovery after they regained the weight. The study authors noted that the bone loss may have been prevented or reduced had women done exercise that increased bone density, such as strength training (non-impact cardiovascular exercise typically doesn't build bone mass). They authors also speculated about whether low bone mass in some overweight and obese people may be partially blamed on repeated diet-and-weight-gain cycles.

The study was published online recently in the journal Obesity."

Prunes, anyone? Here are the nutritional facts of one single prune.

This study goes to show you that the term "weight loss" doesn't always mean FAT loss--other things make up weight, like bone mass, muscle mass, water weight, etc., which are all important and easily lost to things such as deprivation of quality proteins (also known as vegetarianism or veganism), dehydration, malnutrition, and deprivation of calories (also known as weight loss dieting). If it's FAT you're interested in losing, look to the things that make up the fat you're storing: sugar from the sugar bowl, processed foods, and broken-down starches.

To lose weight properly, eat...that's right, I said EAT! Eat more meat, fruit, and vegetable dishes, and stop eating grains, legumes, and dairy--don't forget your prunes (or dried plums, if you prefer). Exercise optional. More below.