Fat mass may build bone mass in girls

[nektar]

Fat mass may build bone mass in girls

New research suggests that puberty is a crucial time for a girl to have some padding.

By Amina Khan
Los Angeles Times
Posted: Monday, Jan. 11, 2010

Brittle bones, physical and psychological damage, along with other long-term effects, can result when a teenage girl is too thin.

Some girls suffering through the insecurities of puberty yearn for the rail-thin bodies of the models plastered across the typical supermarket glossy.

But as new research shows, puberty is a crucial time for a woman to love their curves. In a study to be published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, scientists found that fat mass helps build bone mass, particularly in girls.

Add brittle bones to the long list of physical and psychological damage caused by an eating disorder - the research could have implications for "whether development of the female skeleton is ... affected by conditions such as anorexia nervosa associated with reduced fat mass," the study said.

Scientists aren't quite sure why exactly a woman's fat content makes a difference. Some of that bone accrual is likely a response to the stress caused by the weight her skeleton is carrying; the study's authors also suggest a possible relationship with estrogen levels.

Whatever the underlying causes are, given the postmenopausal specter of osteoporosis, it's important to encourage a healthy body image. Not only is skin-and-bones an unflattering look, it's bad for the bones in the long run.