Diet could cause unwanted bone mass loss

A new study suggests changes in bone metabolism may persist even after the weight stops. In a study of obese adults who followed a very low calorie diet, even after they stopped shedding pounds, changes in their bone turnover remained. That means the normal process by which the body builds up new bone is disrupted. That can lead to bone loss.

Researchers knew this happened to dieters, but they didn't know it continued after they stopped losing weight.

The results of the three-month study involving 35 people will appear in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Researchers say long-term studies are still needed to see how weight loss ultimately affects people's actual bone density and fracture risk.