Montauk Pioneer - May 22, 2009 -

Last Thursday, Ms. Eileen Bock, Director of Montauk's Nutrition Senior Center, hosted a lecture at the Montauk Playhouse Community Center on osteoporosis, a bone thinning disease that causes serious fractures. There were more than 40 attendees who listened attentively to what health expert Ms. Lori Newell had to say on the subject.

Armed with 8 sheets of printed materials, Ms. Newell opened the lecture by pointing out the reasons or risk factors on who may develop osteoporosis.

Small, thin framed, females, Asian or Caucasian, postmenopausal, a diet low in calcium, lack of enough vitamin D, smoking and drinking too much alcohol were just a few mentioned at higher risk. This lecture hit me personally especially when I found out I have most of the risk factors mentioned.

What surprised many was that young adults, those who drink a lot of coke and coffee and men from 50 years up are also susceptible to the disease.

There are no symptoms to osteoporosis and not all causes are known. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation www.NOF.org this "silent thief" is a major health threat to 44 million Americans. Ten million already have the disease and 34 million have low bone mass placing them at increased risk for developing it and the fractures it causes. Ms. Newell recommended that everyone should have a Bone Mineral Density (BMD) test especially when there are risk factors present so that the doctors can provide the proper course of treatment through medication and/or exercises. A BMD test is measured in T-score or standard deviations (SD). It indicates how much your bone density is above or below normal. Normal being compared to a healthy 30 year old adult with the greatest amount of bone that he or she will ever have. A T-score between +1 and -1 is normal. Osteopenia is a score between -1 and -2.5 and is considered low bone density whereas -2.5 or lower, such as -2.8 or -3.3 is a diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Ms. Newell explained the difference between weight training and weight bearing exercises. Weight training or resistance exercises, are activities in which you move your body through its full range of motion against some kind of resistance. This resistance can be free weights, machines, or tubing or your own body weight and helps to increase muscle strength and makes tasks like standing or walking easier. Stronger muscles also helps you maintain balance and avoid falls.

Weight bearing exercises are activities that make your muscles and bones bear your weight and work against gravity. Any activities where your arms, feet and/or legs bear your body weight is good. Walking, hiking, stair climbing or dancing for 15-30 minutes three or four times a week help build strong bones in your legs and are best for managing osteoporosis. For your arms, tennis and pushups are good. Exercises such as the wall slide, wall stretch, wall pushup, corner stretch and tree pose were demonstrated. Swimming, water aerobics and bicycling are not recommended exercises since your body is not working to support your weight.

One good thing about Osteoporosis, unlike other diseases, is that it is preventable and reversible if properly diagnosed. According to NOF, adults under the age of 50 need 1,000 mg of calcium and 400-800 IU of vitamin D daily.

Adults 50 and over need 1,200 mg and 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D. On the other hand, getting too much calcium may increase the chance of developing kidney stones so one must limit their total intake from 2,000-2,500.

By eating food rich in calcium such as cheese s -American, Swiss, cheddar, cottage, mozzarella, parmesan, milk or fish are good ways to get calcium.