Relationship Between Obesity and Osteopenia in Lumbar Spines of Rats Using Mechanical and Morphological Studies

Obesity (OB) and osteopenia (OP), grave consequences for human health, quality of life, and even the efficiency of the labor force and economy, are two common complex diseases. Two public health problems have exploded in prevalence over the past decade [1]. OB, now a major epidemic in the developed world and frequent among elderly subjects, is a condition of excessive body fat that causes or exacerbates several risk of developing non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other diseases [2]. OP is defined as a systemic skeletal disease caused by low bone mass and microstructural deterioration of the bone.© 2008 ASME