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.

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When weak bones break
• 1.5 million Americans suffer fractures due to weak bones
• Half of all women over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture
• Medical expenses from osteoporosis-related bone fractures costs $18 billion annually

• The most common breaks in weak bones are in the: Wrist, Spine and Hip
• The cost of a hip fracture can be more than $81,000 during their lifetime
• One in five elderly people die within a year of the hip fracture
• One in four become disabled
• One in five must move to a nursing home within a year
• Are you at risk for Osteoporosis?

Obesity is a problem that affects more and more people today. Because the Standard Western Diet stresses foods that are high in fat, calories and sugar; and because people often have less time in their day for extended exercise (more than 10 minutes), weight gain is a common problem.

New research has suggested that including calcium in the diet, in the form of dairy products, has a positive effect on weight loss. In fact, the dairy industry has produced an entire advertising campaign around calcium and weight loss.

Many studies that the American Dairy Association (ADA) relies on in their advertising have found a link between the amount of calcium and weight loss of the body. The link appears to be in the amount of calcium stores and the current weight of the subject.

In the advertising the ADA states that the research showed a relationship between eating 3-4 servings of low fat dairy products each day and a decrease in the amount of fat stores in the body. The research has pointed to a suggestion that calcium will increase the amount of fat the body converts to energy by increasing the body’s core temperature causing it to burn calories at a faster rate.

The studies also suggest that people with the lowest amount of calcium stores in their body also have the highest amount of stored fat.

Conversely popular diets that promise quick weight loss are often low in dairy products, the highest foods containing calcium, which also affects the potential for bone loss and osteoporosis. Women who control the amount of eating they do each day can be at risk for a number of deficiencies because they miss vital vitamins and minerals.

The list of foods that are high in calcium include milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, baked beans, dried figs, broccoli, and most dark green leafy vegetables.

Dr. Reed Mangels, from the Vegetarian Resource Group, also comments on the influence that high amounts of animal protein have on our bodies. Quoting a study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2003 he states that “Some studies show that diets that are high in protein, especially animal protein, do cause increased losses of calcium in the urine…” Which means that the amount of calcium Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of calcium may fluctuate for individuals based on the amount of animal protein they regularly consume.

The current RDA for calcium is 800-1000 mg per day while most Americans usually consume between 500-700 mg. Unless a diet is high in foods that contain calcium, calcium supplements may be necessary to avoid the increased risk of bone loss and osteoporosis and take advantage of the potential for calcium and weight loss.

It might be convenient to believe that increasing the amount of calcium included in your diet would increase your weight loss but there have also been studies published in the same time frame that do not point to an increased calcium and weight loss from altered body fat mass in young healthy women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 2005, carried reports of research that are contradictory to the reported weight loss that other studies showed.

The conclusion? Before starting any weight loss program you should consult your doctor, especially if you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have a health problem. Your original calcium intake, as well as the intake of other vital vitamins and minerals, should be established. And then a specific diet, that meets the caloric as well as the nutritional needs of your body, should be established. This can be done with the assistance of an educated Registered Dietician. The results of the current studies linking calcium and weight loss are not conclusive and more research is required before a judgment can be drawn.