New weighty syndrome links obesity to bone and muscle loss

US scientists have identified a new syndrome called “osteosarcopenic obesity” that links the deterioration of bone density and muscle mass with obesity.
“It used to be the thinking that the heavier you were the better your bones would be because the bones were supporting more weight,” explains Prof Jasminka Ilich-Ernst. “But, that’s only true to a certain extent.”
The syndrome is outlined in Ageing Research Reviews and explains how many obese people experience a host of problems that place them at a higher risk of falling and breaking bones.
Prof Ilich-Ernst looked at the files for 200 women who’d participated in previous studies where she’d measured their bone density, muscle mass and fat tissue. About one-third had more than 30% fat tissue and declining bone density and muscle mass.
People do tend to gain weight and lose both muscle mass and bone density with age, Ilich-Ernst acknowledged. But substantial gain in body fat can make the muscle and bone problems even worse.
“This would be a triad problem for older women,” Prof Ilich-Ernst says. “They cannot perform as well. They cannot walk as fast. They cannot walk the stairs well or stand up and sit down multiple times without being winded or in pain. They have a higher risk of falling and breaking a bone or encountering other disabilities.
The problem is most prevalent with older women but can impact men and women of all ages.
The research serves to remind people to consider the damage that can be done to all parts of the body if they are overweight.