Obesity and bone health: key 2020–2022 highlights and implications

Abstract

Sound bone health is crucial for life affirming activities, but is bone physiology impacted in the face of excess body weight? Since fractures and osteoporosis are on the rise, is obesity a risk factor for, as well as a possible negative albeit remediable correlate of bone health in the older adult? To examine this premise the PUBMED and GOOGLE SCHOLAR data bases were sourced for relevant data published between January 1 2020 and November 1 2022 in an effort to capture post COVID-19 possible research observations on the topic. These data bases show while a pervasive idea has been that obesity may be beneficial in some respects to bone mineral density attributes and impart fracture protection, several current publications tend to portray a negative impact of obesity on bone health via multiple proposed mechanisms. However, the research points to a strong need for continued research as well as clinical vigilance of vulnerable individuals both young and old in a period where obesity rates in all age groups appear to be on the rise, along with cases of bone fragility and osteoarthritis that can both foster high morbidity and mortality rates and possibly more challenging weight issues in the face of painful fractures or joint derangement.