What is underweight osteoporosis?
Underweight osteoporosis is the development of osteoporosis, i.e. bone loss due to underweight. Most affected are young women who suffer from eating disorders, but also older people who are losing more and more weight, for example due to insufficient food intake and other diseases. The hormone estrogen also plays a role in osteoporosis due to underweight. To counteract bone loss and underweight, a balanced diet and regular exercise are very important.
Causes – How are osteoporosis and underweight related?
There are various connections between osteoporosis and underweight. On the one hand, the presence of underweight is an important risk factor for the development of osteoporosis, and on the other hand bone loss also promotes a reduction in body weight. The most common reason for underweight, which causes osteoporosis, is malnutrition.
Especially in young women, the strong desire for a low weight leads to an insufficient and unbalanced diet. Abstaining from dairy products, such as cheese or cream, leads to a lack of calcium in the body. As a result, the body begins to get calcium from the bones, which are one of the main stores of the mineral.
As a result, the bones become more unstable and more susceptible to fractures. In addition, bones naturally lose density or substance from the age of 30 onwards. Furthermore, underweight over a longer period of time leads to a deficiency of the hormone estrogen.
This also leads to a reduction in bone density, which can promote osteoporosis. But osteoporosis also plays a role in old age. Due to the already naturally reduced bone density and the frequent occurrence of other diseases in old age, many people become more frail and increasingly immobile. This leads to a reduction in muscle mass and thus also to a reduction in body weight.
Diagnosis of osteoporosis in underweight
The diagnosis of osteoporosis in underweight patients depends on various factors. Osteoporosis itself can be diagnosed by measuring bone density. Underweight is usually referred to as a body mass index below 18.5, although other parameters such as gender and age also play a role. In the context of osteoporosis, underweight is usually chronic, i.e. persisting over a long period of time. Since many factors play a role in the development of osteoporosis, underweight as the sole triggering cause can often not be clearly identified.