Researchers described a new condition called "osteosarcopenic obesity" that associates bone and muscle density loss 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," Jasminka Ilich-Ernst, the Hazel Stiebeling Professor of Nutrition at Florida State University, said in a news release. "But, that's only true to a certain extent."
The study sheds light on how obese individuals often have an increased risk of bone breakage and other similar problems. In the past researchers have often looked at bone tissue without taking muscle mass and fat tissue into account.
"Many factors impact bones," she said. "This developed as a logical way to move forward to look at everything together and not just focus on one area."
To make their findings the researchers looked at the files of 200 women who had participated in past studies in which their " bone density, muscle mass and fat tissue" had been measured, the news release reported.
"This would be a triad problem for older women," Ilich-Ernst said. "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."
When people gain weight they tend to lose muscle mass and bone density, and excessive weight gain can exacerbate these problems.
"They have a higher risk of falling and breaking a bone or encountering other disabilities," Ilich-Ernst said.
This phenomenon is true in people of all ages and genders, but is especially prevalent in older women.
The researcher " hopes the research reminds people to consider the damage that can be done to all parts of the body if they are overweight," the news release reported.
"Everything is connected," she said.
