Obese Are At An Increased Risk Of Vitamin D Deficiency

Those who suffer with obesity could be more at risk of vitamin D deficiency according to a recent study carried out by the UCL Institute of Child Health. Researchers found that a ten percent rise in an individual’s BMI led to a four percent decrease in the concentrations of vitamin D in the body. Obesity appears to make it more difficult for vitamin D to be absorbed and circulated around the body, causing a drop in the levels. The link between obesity and levels of vitamin D in the body was consistent between genders and across all ages, from old and young alike. Vitamin D is important for our health, but our bodies don’t produce it naturally – we absorb it from natural sunlight, as well as getting it from our diet and supplements.

The lack of vitamin D in our bodies is a cause for concern, and this new study highlights the effect that modern lifestyles may be having on this issue. Research has proven that vitamin D metabolism, storage and action have an effect, and are equally affected, by body fat – experiments on rats show that large doses of vitamin D2 can increase the amount of energy that they burn. Studies showing the effect of vitamin D supplements on the amount of weight lost in overweight people haven’t shown anywhere near as conclusive evidence however.

The body’s response to winter could also impact this – the lack of vitamin D from sunlight could contribute to the tendency to gain weight during this time of year. Vitamin D is stored in the fatty tissues in the body, which could explain why the larger storage capacity in overweight people often leads to a lower concentration of circulating vitamin D in the body. While increasing vitamin D does not impact the likelihood of you being able to regulate your weight, there are health issues associated with a lack of vitamin D in obese people.