The study population saw noted payoff when they paired this trending apparel with another crucial activity.
So many current weight-loss aids, such as GLP-1 injectables, come with loss of muscle mass as a warned side effect. That’s a disadvantage, because over time, muscles help burn through calories as fuel even when the body is at rest. Also, lower muscle mass is related to problems like higher risk of falls and greater mortality risk as we get older.
Exercise scientists and statisticians at North Carolina’s Wake Forest University may have identified one possible solution to all this. They assessed 132 individuals with an average age of 70, who were obese or overweight and placed on a weight-loss program.
Weight-bearing activity, like lifting weights, has been shown to improve or maintain bone density. With that in mind, the researchers divided the participants into three groups:
- in one, a weight-loss plan was followed on its own
- in a second, it was paired with resistance training
- in the third, weight loss was paired with wearing a weighted vest
A weighted vest is a piece of apparel that Ohio’s University Hospitals explain have been used for decades in physical therapy and rehabilitation, as well as training for such physically intensive jobs as soldiers, police, and firefighters.
In an initial analysis, the researchers set out to determine which, if either, of these methods (resistance training or weighted vests) helped sustain bone mineral density—specifically in the hips, a critical region for balance, stability, and injury prevention with age.
That first trial had found that neither the weights nor the weighted vests appeared to yield much advantage over the weight loss-only group. The second time, the researchers measured how much time participants spent upright—that is, standing or physically active. After using CT imaging and DEXA (bone density) scans over a year-long period, the team discovered a more nuanced finding: the relationship between daily upright time and bone density actually differed meaningfully depending on which group a person was in.
Surprisingly, among the people who pursued weight loss on its own, spending more time upright was associated with greater bone loss. This could be because their bodies were adapting to carrying less weight without any added loading stimulus to counteract that signal.
By contrast, people in the weighted vest group showed a more stable or slightly positive relationship between standing time and bone density, suggesting the vest may help protect bones—but only when people are actually on their feet and exposed to that extra load throughout the day.
As study lead author and Wake Forest University associate professor of health and exercise science Jason Fanning says: “A vest can be a great tool. But, like any tool, it’s not going to do the work for you.”
Reduced weight and stronger bones sounds like an appealing combination. Before you try it yourself, speak with your doctor to confirm if it’s a good fit for your body and health needs.
Runner’s World lists weighted vests ranging between $20 and $155 and from five pounds up to 30. Before you make the investment, it could be worth putting a couple light handweights or a five-pound dumbbell in a backpack and taking a short stroll. Just make sure the weight is evenly distributed across both shoulders, and don’t try this if a weak back, posture, or other pain or need for strengthening are of concern for you.
For more wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthy by Reader’s Digest newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
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- Here’s How Long Most People Stay on a Weight-Loss Drug, Say Obesity Medicine Doctors
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