In this episode, Dr. Mia and Dr. Kristin Beavers discuss the relationship between weight loss and bone health, emphasizing the importance of exercise, nutrition, and monitoring bone density through DEXA scans. They explore the impact of new diabetes medications on bone health and provide practical tips for maintaining bone density, particularly in older adults. Check out the full episode on the Ask Dr. Mia Channel.
Kristen M. Beavers, PhD, MPH, RD, is a Professor of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and an Associate Director of the Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She received her BS from Cornell University in Human Biology, Health, and Society; MPH and RD from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in
Nutrition; and PhD from Baylor University in Exercise, Nutrition, and Preventive Health. Dr. Beavers’ academic and professional interests lie in the study of nutrition and exercise as interdisciplinary sciences, specifically as they relate to prevention and etiology of chronic disease and disability. She has been continuously funded by the NIH for the past decade and has developed a strong research program
focused on mitigating loss of bone mass and strength in persons undergoing intentional weight loss, with three NIH-funded clinical trials underway. In addition, Dr. Beavers co-led a successful S10 application to bring high resolution peripheral computed tomography scanning capability to Wake Forest School of Medicine in 2023, co-leads the Clinical Research Core of the Wake Forest Claude Pepper
Older Americans Independence Center, and oversees the Clinical and Translational Science Pilot Program. Dr. Beavers sincerely enjoys the art of team building and leveraging her position/resources to develop projects and people that make meaningful contributions to science.
