Mothers Play A Powerful Role In Determining Strength Of Daughters’ Bones Families Who Reinforce Lifelong Milk-Drinking Habits at Lower Risk of Fractures

Of all the gifts that moms pass on to their families, one of the most important is health knowledge, especially information about bone health and osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. A Gift from Mothers to Daughters is the theme of this year’s Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, which is attempting to break the cycle of generations of women suffering from this debilitating bone disease that affects 1 in 2 women over age 50.

• Often considered a condition of aging, osteoporosis is actually a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences. The habits of early childhood and adolescence can significantly impact the likelihood of developing osteoporosis, which is a public health threat for 44 million Americans. Experts stress that prevention of osteoporosis needs to begin during the peak bone building years of childhood and adolescence.
• “Bone health is a family issue, particularly as genetics and heredity are among the key factors that influence a person’s risk of developing osteoporosis,” said Robert Recker, MD, president of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. “However, there are many lifestyle choices that families can make to help build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis later in life.”
• A Gift from Mothers to Daughters Decades of research encourage her to drink lowfat milk instead of sugary sodas and fruit drinks, which often take the place of milk. Currently, nine out of 10 teenage girls fail to get enough of the calcium they need. Milk and milk products are the major source of calcium in the diet and provide other important bone-building nutrients including vitamin D, protein, potassium and phosphorus. Many studies have examined milk’s effect on bone health in children and adolescents.
• Regularly drinking milk during the growing years is associated with greater height, bone size and bone mineralization, while research has linked skipping milk to reduced height and increased fracture rates. Forearm fracture rates of children and adolescents have increased sharply in the United States in recent years, and many researchers are worried that falling milk consumption and displacement of milk by carbonated drinks may be a factor.
• Children (ages 3-13) who avoided milk were found to suffer from fractures more frequently than their milk-drinking peers. The majority of the milk avoiders had family members who did not drink milk.
• In a two-year study of young children with a history of prolonged milk avoidance, the milk avoiders were more likely to suffer from osteopenia (low bone mass), were shorter, and had higher body mass indices (an indicator of body weight) compared to children who regularly drank milk.
• Regular calcium intake, especially calcium from milk, had a favorable effect on girls’ bone mass and attainment of peak bone density, which are critical factors in determining risk of osteoporosis later in life.
• Moms who drink milk are likely to have daughters who drink milk, and the availability of milk at meals and snacks was associated with meeting calcium recommendations and bone mineral status. The researchers suggest that early beverage choices, including choosing milk, learned well before rapid growth could have significant impact on bone health during adolescence.

“Drinking milk should be a family affair,” said registered dietitian Carolyn O’Neil, MS, RD, an award-winning food and health journalist and mother. “Studies show that daughters whose moms drink milk regularly consume more of it themselves – and drink less soda. So it’s not just what we say but what we do, that really matters. And as moms, we need the nine essential nutrients in milk, too.”
For more bone health tips and tools, visit http://whymilk.com/strong_bones.php. About the National Milk Mustache “got milk?®” Campaign The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation’s milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The MilkPEP Board runs the National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk. Lowe New York is the creative agency for the National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign. For more information, go to Visit whymilk.com. About the National Osteoporosis Foundation Established in 1984, NOF is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization solely dedicated to osteoporosis and bone health. Its mission is to prevent osteoporosis and related fractures, to promote lifelong bone health, to help improve the lives of those affected by osteoporosis, and to find a cure through programs of awareness, advocacy, public and health professional education and research. For more information on osteoporosis and bone health, contact NOF online at www.nof.org or by telephone (800) 231-4222.

Please share this post to celebrate this effort to improve the health of the next generation.
For readers who enter a comment to this post, we will distribute limited quantities of free “Got Milk” gifts including: T-shirts, blender, recipes. Reference “Got Milk” and for privacy, leave your email address. We will contact you for the snail mail address. Thanks, Gail

Popularity: 22% [?]

Body Mass Index Defined

Health-conscious individuals need to understand weight-related terms. No other word is as closely associated to weight as the word metabolism. People often refer to themselves as having a slow or fast metabolism.
What exactly is Metabolism?   Metabolism refers to all the chemical processes that are taking place within the body by which the food you eat is converted into the energy your body needs to function.
And there are a lot of influencing factors that can influence the metabolic rhythm such as gender, genetic facts, environmental temperature, stress, and also the quality and quantity of exercise. The measurement that evaluates the relationship between body weight and height and is the recommended method by medical professionals to diagnose overweight and obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI).
There is no such thing as an ideal body weight but there is what you call a healthy weight range.  The Body Mass Index is the height-weight system that will determine this healthy weight range.

The BMI formula (in pounds/inches) is:
Your Weight (in pounds) x 704.5 divided by Your Height (in inches) x Your Height (in inches)

A handy tool used to calculate BMI index is the Body Mass Index Calculator. This is one of the most accurate ways to determine if extra pounds pose health risks. In general, when people use the word metabolism they used this interchangeably with Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

How Body Mass Index Classifies Weight

Under 20 (19 for women) = Underweight
Between 20 and 24.99 = Normal Weight
Between 25 and 29.99 = Overweight
Between 30 and 34.99 = Obese Class 1
Between 35 and 39.99 = Obese Class 2
40 and above = Morbid Obesity

This is the sum-total of all the energy consuming process going on in the body while it is resting and the release of this energy is only sufficient for the vital functioning of the heart, lungs, nervous system and kidneys. If the Basal Metabolic Rate is the number of calories your body needs when you are resting and multiplied by your activity level, BMR then lets you estimate how many calories you need to lose weight or maintain your current weight.

If you calculations fall outside of the normal range and you are not an athlete, then consult with a licensed medical practitioner to achieve your goals.

Popularity: 22% [?]