AsianScientist (Sep. 27, 2025) – Osteoporosis, a skeletal disorder marked by weakened bones and a higher risk of fracture, is typically associated with aging, hormonal changes, and lifestyle factors such as exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking. However, much less is understood about how dietary habits contribute to the risk of osteoporotic fractures.
Now, new research from Japan suggests that everyday eating patterns, such as skipping breakfast or eating late at night, could also raise the risk of osteoporosis.
The study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, studied the connection between eating habits and osteoporotic fractures, shedding light on this overlooked risk factor.
“We found skipping breakfast and having late dinners was associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis,” said author Hiroki Nakajima, MD, PhD, of Nara Medical University in Nara, Japan.
“Furthermore, these unhealthy eating habits were found to be linked with the accumulation of other lifestyle risk factors such as physical inactivity, smoking and insufficient sleep,” Nakajima added.
Skipping breakfast and eating late dinners have been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, the study states. Skipping breakfast has also been associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD) and a higher risk of fractures, though some genetic studies found no clear link. While a few studies have looked at breakfast skipping and fractures over time, none have examined how late dinners might affect osteoporosis.
A silent disease
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decreases, or when the structure and strength of bone changes. This can lead to a decrease in bone strength that can increase the risk of broken bones. It is called a “silent” disease because one typically does not have symptoms, and may not even know they have the disease until they break a bone.
It is also the major cause of fractures in postmenopausal women and in older men. Fractures can occur in any bone but happen most often in bones of the hip, vertebrae in the spine, and wrist.
Unhealthy habits, higher risks
The researchers used a large health checkup cohort of 927,130 adults, aged 20 years and older, from the DeSC claims database in Japan. Of these participants, 45.3 percent were male and 54.7 percent were female.
Using lifestyle questionnaires, the researchers analyzed habits such as smoking, daily alcohol consumption, exercise, walking speed, sleep duration, skipping breakfast, and eating late dinners. They then looked for associations with diagnoses of osteoporotic fractures, including fractures of the hip, forearm, vertebrae, and humerus.
The researchers found that people who had unhealthy habits such as smoking, daily alcohol consumption, not enough exercise or sleep, skipping breakfast, and having late dinners, were more likely to be diagnosed with osteoporosis.
“These results suggest that preventing osteoporosis and fractures requires not only healthy eating habits but also a broader effort to improve overall lifestyle behaviors,” Nakajima said.
The researchers call for future studies to explore how late-night meals affect bone metabolism and whether simple interventions, such as guidance on breakfast and dinner timing, could help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
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Source: Nara Medical University ; Image: Freepik
Study link: Dietary Habits and Osteoporotic Fracture Risk: Retrospective Cohort Study Using Large-Scale Claims Data
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