Unhealthy weight loss and crash diet plans can harm bones, warns expert

Unhealthy weight loss programmes and crash dieting can lead to early osteoporosis disease and dietary supplements taken for body building contain anabolic steroids which also contribute to the problem.

Lifestyle-related factors are largely responsible for the growing incidence of osteoporosis, particularly among youngsters, says Dr Yash Gulati, leading orthopaedic & spine surgeon and Visiting Consultant to RAK Hospital. 

Dr Gulati is a former Senior Consultant at the Spine Surgery & Joint Replacement Division of Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, and has been doing joint replacement and spine surgeries for over 15 years. His patients include leading cricketers, top diplomats and a number of celebrities. Dr Gulati visits RAK Hospital every month and this month's visit coincides with the hospital's Love Your Bones campaign during 28-31 October, being held as part of the observance of the World Osteoporosis Day.

Smoking and alcohol consumption are the other factors linked to the rising osteoporosis incidence. Smoking causes a metabolic disturbance in the body, affecting the ability of bones to produce enough collagen. Similarly, alcohol reduces the absorption of calcium in the gastrointestinal tract, thus leading to vitamin D deficiency. People who spend a lot of time sitting have a higher risk of osteoporosis than their more-active counterparts.

Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses like bending over or coughing can cause a fracture. These fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine. The commonest cause of osteoporosis, however, is the advancing age and women are particularly prone to the disease around menopause time.

Dr Gulati points out that osteoporosis is a very common problem the world over and the UAE is no exception and, therefore, urgent attention is required to combat the problem to prevent complications associated with the disease.

Bone fractures, particularly in the spine or hip, are the most serious complication of osteoporosis. Hip fractures often result from a fall and can result in disability and even death from postoperative complications, especially in older adults.

In some cases, spinal fractures can occur even without a fall. The bones that make up the spine (vertebrae) can weaken to the point that they may crumple, which can result in back pain, lost height and a hunched forward posture.

Occurrence of osteoporosis is higher among the Emiratis as a significant ratio of the local population is above 40 years of age, compared to relatively younger expatriate work force. The incidence of decreased bone density is about 24 percent in this segment. More significantly, 65 percent is deficient in vitamin D, which further weakens the bone, he says.

According to Dr Gulati, this calls for urgent attention, especially in view of the fact that fragility fractures have been estimated to be around 2 per 1000 population in the UAE.

Dr Gulati will be available for consultations along with other osteoporosis experts at RAK Hospital's Love Your Bones campaign 2013, under  which women aged 40 plus and men of 60 and above will be eligible for the DEXA bone density test and consultations for a special fee of AED250, instead of the regular fee of AED1050. Those who register for the campaign will also be eligible for 30 percent discount for further investigations and consultations if needed.