Regular Exercise a Must for Frail Obese Dieters

The following is an article that Dr. Asa Andrew will be discussing on an upcoming episode of "Dr. Asa on Call"

Frail obese elderly patients who are dieting to lose weight and improve their health should incorporate regular exercise into their weight-loss regimen to prevent bone loss, according to research presented here at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2010 Annual Meeting.

"Regular exercise is effective in preventing bone loss and increasing bone turnover during dietary-induced weight loss in obese older adults with adequate calcium and vitamin D intake," said Krupa Shah, MD, from the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. "Therefore, exercise should be included as part of a comprehensive weight-loss program to offset the adverse effects of dietary-induced weight loss on bone."

Weight loss improves frailty and metabolic and coronary heart disease risk factors in obese older adults, but can also cause bone loss and increase the risk for fracture, Dr. Shah noted.

When the investigators began this study, it was not known whether exercise training would offset these effects.

They randomized 107 obese individuals with a body mass index above 30 kg/m2 who were older than 65 years to 1 of 4 groups: diet only, exercise training, diet plus exercise training, and a control group, which received advice on a healthy lifestyle.
All participants received daily supplemental calcium (1200 to 1500 mg) and vitamin D (1000 IU).

At the end of the 1-year study, patients in the diet only group had lost a mean of 10 lb, and those in the diet plus exercise training group had lost a mean of 9 lb; patients in the exercise training and control groups maintained their weight.

The study also found that participants in the diet only group had a mean reduction in total hip bone mineral density of 2.3%, compared with those in the control group (P < .05). However, in the exercise training group, there was a 1.3% increase in total hip bone mineral density.

In the diet plus exercise training group and the control group, there was no change in hip bone mineral density.

To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew listent to "Dr. Asa on Call" or log onto www.drasa.com