Researchers from the US have found a link between vitamin D deficiency and overweight teenage girls and young women, prompting health professionals to support the use of supplementation in those who may be at risk.

"Given the current debate around sun safety versus obtaining appropriate daily doses of vitamin D, supplementation may also have a role for the general public," said Blackmores Director of Education, Pam Stone.

The research, conducted at the University of Southern California and published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, found a strong link between excessive body fat and low vitamin D levels. It was not clear if low vitamin D caused weight gain, or if being overweight hindered absorption of vitamin D.

Professor Rebecca Mason from the University of Sydney said "many people had low vitamin D levels and it was reasonable for concerned individuals to take vitamin D pills."

This research is just one of many that point to an alarming rate of vitamin D deficiency. The Medical Journal of Australia states that older and institutionalised Australians; people with pigmented skin from Africa, India and Pakistan; women who practise veiling; those on certain medications; those with malabsorption or a low vitamin D intake; young Australians; pregnant women and their infants, are all at risk of being deficient in vitamin D.

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