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How Does Disordered Eating Affect Muscle and Bone Health?

01/28/2025

If you are living with an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, your chances of developing osteoporosis are higher. However, following a strategic and holistic approach can help you mitigate and manage your risk efficiently.

People diagnosed with anorexia usually don’t get the recommended amount of nutrients for their bodies to function efficiently, which, as a result, raises your risk of developing several health conditions, and osteoporosis is one of them.

This condition usually happens when your bones start losing density and strength and become prone to fractures.

 

Disordered eating impact on muscle and bone health

 

As per the study conducted back in 2019,  approximately 20 to 30% of people diagnosed with anorexia usually come across osteoporosis, and 50 to 90% stumble upon osteopenia.

This condition, named osteopenia, happens when the bone density is typically lower than expected. If not treated at the right time, it can encourage the development of osteoporosis.

How does Anorexia Make you Pone to Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis comes out as a condition that leads to brittle and weak bones, making you prone to fractures and cracks.  According to gardened data, more than 53 million people across the United States are living with this condition or prone to developing it. Our body works throughout life to break down bone cells and replace them with new ones. However, the body may sometimes break down bone cells at an increased pace or replace them with new cells slowly. As a result, it causes weak and less dense bones, also known as osteoporosis.

Anorexia can make you susceptible to developing osteoporosis in multiple ways:

Deficiency of Nutrition: People living with anorexia, commonly known as an eating disorder, consume inadequate amounts of nutrition, which means their bones don’t get the nutrients they need to be strong.

Inadequate Levels of Estrogen: Estrogen is a hormone that carries out a vital role in bone health development. People who are suffering from disordered eating usually have low levels of estrogen.

Low Muscle Density: In order to maintain the size and strength of the muscles, the body relies on good nutrition. When you don’t get enough nutrition through your diet or supplements, you may experience a decrease in the size and strength of your muscles. Low muscle density is usually the cause of osteoporosis, as muscle force is responsible for stimulating bones and helping to keep them strong.

High Cortisol Levels: People diagnosed with anorexia generally have increased levels of cortisol. Many studies have linked high cortisol levels to osteoporosis as it may result in increased reabsorption of bone cells in the body.

Low Levels of Insulin-like Growth Factor: IGF-1 is one of the important hormones that conduct several vital roles in the body. It carries out an essential role in bone development during puberty and promotes bone health throughout life.

Most people come across anorexia during adolescence or early adulthood, which is the prime time for bone development. Around the end of your 20s, the bones hit the mark of peak strength.

If bones do not develop properly during early adulthood, they may not achieve peak strength, potentially leading to osteoporosis.

What are the Other Potential Causes of Osteoporosis?

There is a wide range of causes of osteoporosis. However, the most significant one is age. As you age, your chances of developing increases. The body commences breaking down bone cells more quickly than it can replenish them.  As a result, this process makes you prone to forming less dense and weak bones.

Menopause also comes in as another risk factor for osteoporosis. The body starts producing less estrogen when you hit menopause, which may, as a result, cause the body to break down bone cells faster than it can replace them.

The following are also the risk factors for osteoporosis:

  • Living a sedentary life

  • Having a family history of osteoporosis

  • Hyperthyroidism

  • Low body weight

  • Binge drinking

  • Smoking cigarettes

  • Poor nutrition

  • A small-boned frame

All the risk factors associated with osteoporosis can’t be eliminated, such as your gender and age. However, other risk factors can be managed by following a holistic approach that includes lifestyle modification, eating the right nutrition, daily exercise, and cutting back on alcohol and smoking. If these methods don’t lead to any fruitful outcomes, seek medical advice as soon as possible.

How to Diminish your Risk of Developing Osteoporosis through anorexia?

No matter whether you are living with an active eating disorder or in recovery, you can follow a harm-reduction approach to your eating disorder. Harm reduction involves taking steps to protect your mental and physical health, even if you cannot fully withdraw from anorexia-related behaviors. The following steps will help you to keep your physical and mental health protected:

Take Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements: In case your diet lacks enough calcium and vitamin D, you can definitely opt for their supplements. However, you should always try getting nutrients from your diet.  Before you take any supplements under use, make sure to consult a doctor.

Opt for Meal Replacement Shakes: If you are not able to eat solid foods for any reason, you can go for a wide range of nutrient shakes. Make sure to add a good source of protein to your shake, as it is very important for promoting muscle and bone health.

Exercise Responsibly: Before you start exercising, make sure to warm up and stretch to avoid any unwanted injury. In addition to this, avoid indulging in exercise wherein there is an elevated risk of falling. Engage yourself in small amounts of weight-bearing exercises without overexerting your joints and bones.

Exercise in Moderation: You need to find a balance when it comes to exercise. Both too much and too little are bad for your bones. Before you start any exercise, please consult a specialist to obtain personalized advice based on your current and past health history.

Ditch Alcohol and Smoking: If you are a chain smoker and drink heavily, you need to cut back on this habit. Such habits also increase your risk of developing conditions like osteoporosis and cardiovascular problems.

The Takeaway

Anorexia is one of those condition that increases your risk of developing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis comes as a condition wherein your bones become brittle, weak, and fragile, making you prone to fractures. If you are diagnosed with anorexia, you may come across a wide range of problems that include hormonal changes, low muscle density, lack of nutrition, etc. All these come out as common risk factors for osteoporosis.

Treating disordered eating and eating a nutritious diet can help you lower your risk of developing it. Including some lifestyle changes such as avoiding cigarettes, ditching alcohol, and taking supplements can also help limit the risk of coming across it. If you want to take a step to recover from anorexia, contact a therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders

FAQs:

1. How do eating disorders affect bone health?

Going through an eating disorder at any age can be really harmful to your bones and overall health. When you come across an eating disorder at a young age, it may, as a result, affect the growth and development of bones drastically. The earlier the eating disorder occurs, the longer it lasts. As a consequence, you are at high risk of bone loss and osteoporosis.  

2. How do disordered eating behaviors impact health?

Disordered eating behavior can significantly affect your overall health and ability to consume the nutrition your body requires to work effectively. Having an eating disorder can cause damage to bones, teeth, mouth, digestive system, and the heart. These can also contribute to other health conditions. Disordered eating is also linked to depression, anxiety, self-harm, depression, and suicidal thoughts.  

3. Do eating disorders affect every body system?

If you are diagnosed with any eating disorder, it can affect every body system, such as bones, teeth, the digestive system, and the heart. This is not just limited to these diseases; it can also cause many others. Disordered eating is also connected with suicidal thoughts, self-harm, anxiety, and depression.

4. What happens to your bones when you don't eat?

Living with an eating disorder such as anorexia increases your chances of developing osteoporosis. When you don’t eat enough or are underweight, bones don’t get the nutrition they need to be strong. As a result, it makes your bones weak and brittle.

Medically Reviewed By:

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B. Pharma

(Dr. A. Sharma, PharmD, is a licensed pharmacist and a medical writer with 10 years of clinical experience. He strives to empower patients to understand their medications so that they become better healthcare advocates.)

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