Weight Loss and Wellness

Great news! According to the results of a study published in the September 22, 2008 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, rapid weight loss does not cause bone loss as many people have suspected.

Researchers divided patients up into four groups: 1) Healthy diet; 2) Calorie restriction (25% fewer calories); 3) Calorie restriction and aerobic exercise and 4) Low calorie diet (890 calories/day). After six months, there was no significant bone loss in any of the groups.

However, there are several points that you should keep in mind. All of the subjects maintained adequate calcium intake. The study was also fairly small - only 46 patients overall.

Bottom line: For patients that want to lose weight quickly, I recommend taking 500 mg of calcium twice daily. And make sure that your calcium tablet also has 400 IU of vitamin D in order to make sure that your body is able to absorb the calcium.