Why Do We Lose Bone During Weight Loss: Can It Be Prevented?

Weight loss is recommended for obesity management, but it also increases bone turnover and reduces bone mineral density (BMD) and bone quality (microarchitecture, geometry, and strength). This review examines mechanisms and the multiple factors that influence skeletal responses to caloric restriction.

Bone loss during weight loss likely reflects multiple interacting mechanisms, including alterations in endocrine signaling, impaired calcium absorption, reduced mechanical loading, and alterations in the gut microbiota. The extent of bone loss is further influenced by age, sex, initial body weight, nutrient intake, and method of weight loss, with greater loss in older and lean adults, and after severe caloric restriction, such as with incretin mimetics or bariatric surgery. Current evidence emphasizes the importance of adequate nutrient intake (e.g., calcium, protein, etc.) and exercise as countermeasures to attenuate bone loss. Emerging evidence also suggests that additional countermeasures, including osteoporosis medications and other lifestyle interventions, may affect weight-loss-induced bone loss, and randomized trials are needed. Weight-loss-induced bone loss is multifactorial, involving endocrine, metabolic, nutritional, mechanical, and gut microbiota-mediated mechanisms that remain incompletely understood. These mechanisms influencing skeletal responses to weight loss can inform targeted strategies to preserve bone health and reduce fracture risk during obesity management.