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Newsletter
Article
December 2009
OSTEOPOROSIS: NOT JUST YOUR GRANDMOTHER’S BONES AT RISK
By Betty L. Brewer
Last month, we looked at older adults, both male and female, as potential victims of osteoporosis. This month, we consider increasing risk levels for girls and young women as potential targets of this disease. Bone mass or density increases as new bone tissue is created by our bodies, starting at birth. Girls attain roughly 90% of their maximum bone mass by about age 18; boys normally reach 90% of maximum density about age 20. New bone tissue continues to be created but the rate of formation begins to decline. After age 30, women typically experience minor decreases in bone mass. Then menopause arrives and the rate of loss of old bone tissue escalates sharply for several years. Reduction in bone mass continues at a lower rate for many women until they reach age 60, when it can begin to significantly outstrip new bone tissue creation. The bones become porous and subject to fractures, sometimes without any obvious precipitating event.
Factors which affect bone mass creation and rate at which old bone tissue is absorbed by the body include gender, race, hormonal factors, age, height, nutrition, and physical activity. You can’t change gender, age, ethnic origin, and size. But you can recognize that the groundwork for osteoporosis is laid in the years between birth and 18. The habits and behaviors of childhood and adolescence can “…make, or literally break, their bones as they age.” (NIH)
Heredity is a factor of concern. If there is a history of osteoporosis or susceptibility to bone fractures in the family, then both male and female children need to develop behaviors which can delay its onset and/or reduce its severity as they age.
For girls and young women, two factors of prime importance are nutrition and exercise. Researchers are actively studying approaches for educating parents and girls between ages 9 and 18 about the importance of developing good bone health, a prerequisite for good bone health in adults. Researchers have initiated a variety of research projects to examine behaviors and contributing factors which keep both boys and girls from making good nutritional choices. Researchers are, also, examining the effects of different physical activities and exercise on improving bone mass development in teenagers. The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and Department of Health and Human Services have initiated a program, “Best Bones Forever”, which seeks to educate girls and their parents about making better health, nutrition, and physical activity choices. (http://www.bestbonesforever.gov)
As with adults, increasing the amount of calcium and vitamin D in the daily diet is the easiest and most essential first step. Today’s dietary habits, including fast food, often do not provide adequate vitamin content. Sodas and diet drinks often replace milk consumption as children age. Reasons vary, but focus on weight is often an excuse for giving up milk. But our bodies need milk and diary products to provide calcium, at all ages. Foods that provide calcium include cheddar cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, mozzarella, whole wheat bread, cream cheese, and cereal and orange juice fortified with calcium. For those who are lactose intolerant, small quantities of milk or cheese may still be tolerated or lactose-free milk products are available. Vitamin D is also important, because it affects the rate at which calcium is absorbed by the body. Daily exposure to sunshine is the best source. Supplements are available but any vitamin/mineral regimen should be approved by your doctor.
Exercise is very important for building strong muscles and bones. So physical activities, such as “…walking, running, hiking, dancing, basketball, gymnastics, and soccer…,” should be a part of the lifestyle in which girls grow up. (NIH) It is possible for exercise to become a problem, when taken to excess. Obsession with training by girls involved in organized sports activities or dancing can lead to excessive exercise, reducing estrogen levels and, ultimately, creating thin bones and potential for fractures. (NIH) There is such a thing as being “too thin,” so obsession with dieting and weight loss is a behavior for which parents should be alert and seek proper medical counseling for their child.
You are the best role model for your child or grandchild. It is important for you to “eat healthy” and practice what you preach in terms of daily physical exercise. Excessive dependence on fast food and sedentary activities, such as television viewing or computer games, can create health problems for everyone. Behavioral changes may be necessary for both parents and children to help your children become healthy adults.
REFERENCES
Center for Disease Control. “Using Focus Groups to Develop a Bone Health Curriculum for After-School Programs.” July, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/PCD/issues/2004/jul/04_0001.htm
National Institutes of Health. “Exercise for Your Bone Health.” January, 2009.
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Exercise/default.asp
National Institutes of Health. “Fitness and Bone Health for Women: The Skeletal Risk of Overtraining.” May, 2009. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Exercise/fitness_bonehealth.asp
National Institutes of Health. “Juvenile Bone Health.” April, 2009.
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Juvenile/default.asp
National Institues of Health. “Nutrition and Bone Health.” April, 2009. http://niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Nutrition/default.asp
National Institutes of Health. “Osteoporosis Overview.” May, 2009. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/default.asp
National Institutes of Health. “Osteoporosis in Men.” May, 2009. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Bone/Osteoporosis/men.asp |
