For generations, people have been told they need to look a certain way and weigh a certain amount to be accepted and to be considered “healthy.” But we know that being thin isn’t an indicator of well-being.
One way we also lose it is through significant weight loss, like Jamil said. Here’s what experts want you to know:“Weight loss can decrease bone density, both for people who become underweight but also for overweight people who lose a significant amount of weight,”that bone density loss is less prevalent and harmful in folks who lose a moderate amount of weight in a healthy manner — although some experts say it does still happen.
It’s worth noting that extreme weight loss from disordered eating or a medical procedure, such as gastric bypass, can have a negative impact on bone density, too, Wooldridge added.Resistance training and proper nutrition can help you maintain bone density while losing weight “We generally consider ‘healthy weight loss’ or sustainable weight loss to be at the rate of about a half pound to a pound per week,” Wooldridge said. “So, for someone who is engaging in a weight loss program, that is a pretty good goal; that means that’s going to be weight that you lose that you can keep off.”