Beauty’s more than skin deep Osteoporosis NZ celebrates building better bones during Osteo Awareness 2010
Osteo Awareness 2010 (October 18-24) is celebrating New Zealanders who are taking measures to prevent the risks of osteoporosis. By taking a few small steps such as regular exercise and good nutrition including sufficient calcium and vitamin D intakes, New Zealanders are improving their bones and becoming beautiful on the inside.
Osteoporosis is a huge problem in New Zealand affecting half of NZ women and one in three NZ men over the age of 65.
For more information visit: http://www.bones.org.nz/
Did you know?...
Growing up with calcium: bone strength in young children
- Bone mass begins to decline from our twenties with bones slowly losing density and becoming weaker
- Children who develop a high peak bone mass have a strong base for healthy bones for the rest of their lives
- The recommended daily intake of calcium for children under three years is 500mg, for ages four to eight it is 800mg, and 1,300mg for nine-18 year olds
- There are plenty of options for child who are lactose intolerant; foods including: salmon, soy milk and tofu, broccoli, peas, sesame seeds, bok choy, almonds and spinach are rich in calcium.
Women in menopause
- The changes brought on by menopause effect bone density
- The decrease in oestrogen accelerates bone loss for between five and eight years
- Falling oestrogen levels cause osteoblasts (cells that produce bone) to stop laying down more bone and density is lost, causing the common wrist and spinal fractures associated with osteoporosis in over 60-year-olds and the devastating hip fractures that occur in frail older people
- To protect against factures, women experiencing symptoms of menopause should speak to their doctors about their bone density and risk factors for osteoporosis, to identify their level personal level of risk.
Preventing Osteoporosis through adequate intakes of Vitamin D
- Adequate levels of vitamin D help prevent osteoporosis and fractures
- Most of our daily vitamin D is manufactured by our bodies through natural exposure to sunlight
- Spending 15 minutes a day outside is enough for the body to manufacture sufficient vitamin D to make a difference
- Vitamin D is present in small amounts in oily fish (e.g. salmon and mackerel), egg yolk, liver, and is often added to some types of juice and milk
- New Zealanders with darker skin pigmentation need to spend more time in the sunlight than New Zealanders of European descent, to manufacture sufficient vitamin D. It is particularly important for these individuals to make sure their vitamin D intake is adequate
- Blood tests are available to assess vitamin D levels.
For references, please contact:
Julia Gallagher
Executive Director
Osteoporosis New Zealand
PO Box 688
Wellington 6140
Tel: 04 499 4862
Email: info@bones.org.nz
