Vitamin D, Calcium, and Lipid Levels during Weight Loss

Medically speaking, not all overweight people are obese. Obesity is defined as weight that exceeds 15 percent of normal weight for height and body type. "Morbid" obesity exceeds 20 percent of optimum weight. The long-term health implications are well known, in fact, obesity is considered an outright disease. Life expectancy may be decreased in overweight and obese individuals. An obese person is at high risk for a number of serious health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, varicose veins, psychological stress, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Everyone knows what it means to be overweight. From early age on, children can tell the difference between "fat" and "thin" people. They also get the clear message that fat people are apt to be less popular. Body weight is one of the most basic issues of human life. Self-esteem, acceptance among peers-- and perhaps lifelong success or failure—are, unfortunately, all tied to our physical appearance.

A recent study investigated calcium and vitamin D and its effects during weight loss in those with low intakes of calcium. Participants included 63 healthy over weight or obese women with an intake of less than 800 mg of calcium daily. These women were randomly assigned to the treatment group (1200 mg elemental calcium and 400 IU’s of vitamin D daily) or the placebo group. These women all followed a 15-week weight loss intervention. The results showed that after the 15 weeks, the calcium group had lower LDL (the plaque forming type of cholesterol) levels. The end results showed that women with a low intake of calcium may benefit with calcium supplementation in relation to cholesterol levels during weight loss.

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