Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease, which gradually develops over a period of years.
The resulting loss of bone tissue can leave those afflicted with very weak and fragile bones. If preventive measures are not taken, untreated osteoporosis can progress unnoticed for decades until a fracture occurs.

In the U.S.,10 million people have osteoporosis and 34 million more have low bone mass and therefore are at a high risk for this disease. Half of the women and one quarter of the men over the age of fifty will have an osteoporosis related fracture in their lifetime.

Although over 2 million American men suffer from osteoporosis & many more are at risk, the most common form of this disease affects postmenopausal women and often results in fractures of the hip, wrist, or spine.

The 3 most significant factors
contributing to post menopausal osteoporosis are believed to be:

1. Low levels of estrogen, associated with menopause, accelerate bone loss.
   
2. Insufficient amounts of calcium & vitamin D in the diet. Calcium is vital to the development & maintenance of strong bones and vitamin D is required to absorb calcium from the foods we eat.
   
3. Lack of physical activity (common among many adults today) is believed to contribute to lower bone density because the skeleton is not being taxed enough to stimulate new bone growth.

To prevent osteoporosis, it is recommended that we consume a diet rich in calcium, lead an active lifestyle which includes frequent weight bearing exercise, such as walking, stair climbing, aerobic exercise and resistance training to develop the muscles that support the skeleton.

Lifestyle Changes That Can Help

• Make weight-bearing exercise a part of your daily routine.
  Bones react to load by gradually growing stronger & denser.
  
• Quit smoking and reduce your risk for osteoporosis & most other diseases.
  
• Reduce soft drink consumption. The phosphorus in soft drinks appears to have a deleterious effect on bone tissue. Colas & beverages with caffeine & phosphorus appear to cause bone resorption (a problem for children & adults).
  
• Be sure to get your daily dose of calcium (1200-1500 mg/day after age of 50) and vitamin D, both nutrients are necessary to build & maintain bone tissue.
  
• See your doctor for a bone density test, after the age of 50.

Why is Exercise So Important?

Our bones are living, growing tissue that respond to weight bearing exercise by growing denser & stronger, similar to the way our muscles react to exercise. Generally we achieve maximum bone density & strength (peak bone mass) around the age of 30. After age 30, bone density gradually begins to decline. Bone loss is usually most rapid in the first few years after menopause. We now know that exercise, diet & minor lifestyle changes can slow & even reverse the bone loss that usually occurs as we age.