Three Simple Steps To Prevent The Onset Of Osteoporosis

With International Day of Action for Women’s Health held on May 28; World No Tobacco Day approaching on May 31 and World Milk Day celebrated on June 1, Fonterra wants to remind women in the UAE of the importance of putting their health and wellbeing first and the simple ways they can maintain their bone health.

The company is passionate in its efforts to highlight the dangers of osteoporosis to ensure women are aware of the debilitating effects of the disease and have compiled three easy steps to help prevent the onset of the disease:

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes foods high in calcium (approximately four glasses of regular milk per day delivers the required amount of calcium); vitamin D (sunlight generates this vitamin in your skin and it can also be found in salmon, shrimp, milk and eggs); magnesium (found in pumpkin seeds and spinach) and zinc (found in mushrooms and sesame seeds)[1]. Alternatively, only two glasses of milk fortified with these vital nutrients are required to meet the recommended calcium intake.

• Exercise regularly – aim to take 10,000 steps per day. Walking around the office and shopping in malls all count towards reaching this target. Brisk walking, jogging, tennis, golf and netball are particularly good for bone heath.

• Avoid smoking. Some studies have shown that significant bone loss has been found in older women who smoke; second-hand smoke exposure when you are young may increase the risk of developing low bone mass and the more cigarettes you smoke, the greater the risk of fractures in old age. [2]

Dr. Humeira Badsha, Rheumatology Specialist at Al Biraa Arthritis Clinic

says that osteoporosis is often referred to as a ‘silent disease’. “It develops over several years and often goes unnoticed until a fracture or break occurs, which can be extremely painful.

“Prevention is the only cure and women really do need to take the time to make sure they are looking after their bone health. Simple exercises, a healthy diet and not smoking are obvious to many, but it really does make the difference in preventing the onset of a disease that can be life changing – even life threatening.”

One in three women over 50 will experience osteoporotic factures, which can lead to curvature of the spine, pain and muscle weakness[3]. After a hip fracture, 20% of cases can be fatal and 50% cause permanent disability.[4]

It is a disease, which is often misunderstood and stems from a lack of minerals such as calcium in the bones, which is vital to maintain healthy bone mass.

Since 2006 Fonterra has conducted more than 1.8 million bone scans in Asia and the Middle East, as part of its research programme to raise awareness of the growing incidence of osteoporosis in the region, which provides valuable insight into the state of bone health in the region.

It was found that one in three women scanned in the UAE in 2009 were at risk of developing osteoporosis showing how prevalent the disease is in the region, says Amr Farghal, Managing Director for Fonterra Brands Middle East, Africa and CIS.

 “People living in Dubai work long hours and coupled with the warm weather, means they don’t have the opportunity to spend time outside exercising or simply walking.

Mr Farghal continues, “People often think of osteoporosis as just affecting older people and a disease that is rare and not particularly serious – nothing could be further from the truth. The prevalence of the disease in the Middle East is at a worrying level and women and young people in particular need to be aware of how serious it is as well as the simple ways to prevent its onset.”

Fonterra has spent more than US$40 million in the last decade to better understand osteoporosis and works closely with the International Osteoporosis Foundation to raise awareness.