Massachusetts Department Of Public Health (MDPH) Urges Osteoporosis Prevention During Childhood And Adolescence

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BOSTON, May 4, 1998 -- While many people know that osteoporosis - a serious bone-thinning disease that occurs when the body loses more bone mass than it replaces - can be prevented with a calcium-rich diet and a healthy, active lifestyle, too few people understand that prevention must begin during the critical bone-building years of childhood and adolescence. This is the message that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) will convey during this year's Osteoporosis Awareness Week, May 10 - 16.

Recent figures from the Department of Education's Youth Risk Behavior Survey show that in Massachusetts, kids are not adequately physically active. And, as kids move from 9th to 12th grade, the amount of time spent being physically active declines significantly. Forty percent of the school-aged population surveyed could not run a mile in less than 10-minutes. Studies also show that considerable numbers of children, especially females, do not eat enough foods containing high levels of calcium - one of the most significant factors in building healthy bones. A report from a recent issue of the Journal of School Health reported that only 15 percent of girls and 53 percent of boys met the current recommended daily allowance of calcium.

Targeting youth for prevention of osteoporosis stems from research findings that have suggested that the most important period for adequate calcium and vitamin D absorption is during adolescence. About 40 percent of skeletal calcium is established during teenage years and Peak Bone Mass (PBM) is reached at around the age of 20 years old.

"It is essential that PBM is maximized through diet and lifestyle, because after this time and as the body ages, bones gradually deteriorate. The greater the PBM during adolescence, the greater the resistance to bone fractures," says Dr. Catherine Gordon, pediatric endocrinologist at Boston Children's Hospital.

There is a common misconception among Americans that osteoporosis is a disease that only happens to elderly people. MDPH's Osteoporosis Awareness Week is designed to educate Massachusetts residents that no one is too young or too old to do something to prevent osteoporosis. Since osteoporosis is a disease for which no cure exists and therapies for the disease are limited once a bone has fractured, prevention is the best focus for life. The 1998 program is aimed at educating Massachusetts youth about the critical importance of their first 20+ years in developing healthy bones.

"We have to work to change the perception that osteoporosis only affects the elderly so that people come to regard the disease as a preventable condition," says Dr. Gordon. "With programs and events such as Osteoporosis Awareness Week, and by placing a keener emphasis on bone health in our schools, we are taking the right steps towards reducing incidence of osteoporosis."

Osteoporosis currently affects 28 million Americans, with the cost of related osteoporotic fractures totaling more than $13.8 billion each year. Surprisingly, most Americans are still unaware that this debilitating disease is a condition that may be best prevented by eating smart and exercising regularly, during childhood and adolescence - the time when bone growth is optimal.

As part of the MDPH's programs for young children - and in an effort to stress the importance of bone building upon younger children - many elementary schools in the Commonwealth are adopting the "Healthy Bones Project," a children's education initiative piloted in more than 100 classrooms statewide. The curriculum features Olivia(TM), a colorful cartoon octopus who dreams of having bones.

Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to undertake a state funded osteoporosis awareness campaign. Now in its 5th year, the MDPH continues to promote the message, "Support Your Bones. They Support You," a pro-active, intergenerational call-to-action underscoring overwhelming evidence that it is never too late or too early to fight against osteoporosis.

Corporate sponsors for Osteoporosis Awareness Week are: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc., Blossoms, Brigham's(R) Restaurants, Eli Lilly & Co., New England Dairy and Food Council, Novartis, Procter & Gamble, Teleflora, Total Cereal and Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories.

The public can access the full range of educational materials of the Massachusetts Osteoporosis Awareness Program by calling the MDPH toll-free osteoporosis information line at 1-800-95-BONES.

CONTACT: CONTACT: Matt Kibby, x235, Karen Barzilay, x237 or Rebecca Passo, x250 of BBK, 617-630-4477