Good Nutrition Essential for Bone Health

Good Nutrition Essential for Bone Health

October 20, 2006

New IOF Report Highlights Vital Link Between Nutrition and Strong
Bones; 12 Global Celebrities Urge Bone-Healthy Eating Habits; New IOF website
Launched; World Osteoporosis Day Celebrated in More Than 80 Countries

    HONG KONG, Oct. 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Good
nutrition is essential to building and maintaining strong
bones, according to a new report issued today by
International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) on the occasion
of World Osteoporosis Day (WOD), October 20.

    The new report "Bone Appetit: the role of food and
nutrition in building and maintaining strong bones"
(please view:
http://www.osteofound.org/publications/bone_appetit.html )
shares its title with the theme of WOD 2006, celebrated
today with international activities (please view:
http://www.osteofound.org/activities/world_osteoporosis_day/2006_activities.php
) by IOF's member societies in 86 countries.

    IOF Chief Executive Officer Daniel Navid, speaking at a
press conference in Hong Kong, noted: "Everyone can
help to reduce their risk of developing osteoporosis by
following a bone-healthy lifestyle, which includes eating a
nutritious diet, taking regular exercise and avoiding
smoking and excess alcohol.

    "By rejecting the misconception that `skinny is
beautiful' and not following harmful and excessive weight
loss diets, people can build strong bones and help to
reduce the risk of breaking bones due to osteoporosis later
in life."

    Professor Annie Kung, president of the Osteoporosis
Society of Hong Kong, speaking at the conference, predicted
an osteoporosis epidemic in Asia, noting: "It is
projected that by 2050 about 50% of all osteoporotic hip
fractures will occur in Asia. Partly this is due to
increasing life expectancy, but is also related to
lifestyle factors, including less-healthy eating
habits."

    "The importance of a nutritious diet with
sufficient calcium and vitamin D to build and maintain bone
strength has been shown in numerous clinical studies,"
said Dr Edith Lau, president of the Hong Kong Osteoporosis
Foundation and an IOF Board member. "Like any organ in
the body, the skeleton needs a constant supply of nutrients
to function properly and replenish itself throughout our
lives."

    Also released by IOF today were twelve 30-second Public
Service Announcements (please view:
http://www.osteofound.org/press_centre/psa_wod2006/index.html
) in which internationally-known entertainers, athletes,
chefs and osteoporosis advocates urge people to adopt
bone-friendly eating habits. These celebrities include:

    -- Jet Li, Actor (China)
    -- Karen Mok, Actress and singer (Hong Kong)
    -- Retno Maruti, Master of classical Javanese dance
(Indonesia)
    -- Martin Yan, Master and celebrity TV chef (USA)
    -- Gregory Coupet, Football star (France)
    -- Silvia Valdemoros, Master and celebrity TV chef
(Argentina)
    -- Sportacus, Host of international hit children's TV
series
       `LazyTown' (Iceland)
    -- Britt Ekland, Actress (Sweden)
    -- Martial Enguehard, Master chef (France)
    -- Anton Mosimann, Master chef (Switzerland)
    -- Ana Shepherd of Hangtime Circus, Aerialist (Canada)
    -- Philippe Chevrier, Master chef (Switzerland)

    World Osteoporosis Day, which begins the "Year of
Bone Nutrition" also saw the launch of a completely
new IOF website - http://www.iofbonehealth.org - which went
live for the first time during the Hong Kong press
conference.

    The new website features nutritional information for
the public and health professionals, a global recipe
database, and a calcium intake calculator. Nutrition facts
released today show:

    Calcium and vitamin D

    - Studies in children and adolescents have shown that
adding extra dietary 
      or supplemental calcium enhances the rate of bone
mineral gain during 
      growth.

    - Vitamin D is essential for assisting calcium
absorption and ensuring 
      bone tissue renewal yet a growing body of evidence
suggests that, on a 
      global level, vitamin D deficiency is widespread.

    - Calcium and vitamin D supplementation reduces rates
of bone loss and 
      also reduces fracture rates in older people.

    Protein

    - Adequate dietary protein is essential for bone
health. Studies have 
      shown that elderly men and women with higher dietary
protein intakes had 
      lower rates of hip and spine bone loss than those
consuming lower 
      amounts of protein.

    - In elderly patients who have suffered hip fractures,
ensuring sufficient 
      protein intake helps to speed recovery, shorten
hospital stays, and 
      increase the likelihood of returning to independent
living.

    Lifestyle factors

    - Bone mass accumulation is greatest during puberty,
thereby putting 
      adolescents who follow unnecessary and excessive
diets, and particularly 
      those with anorexia nervosa, at greater risk for
reduced peak bone mass 
      and for fractures later in life.

    WOD 2006 is supported by an unrestricted educational
grant provided by four Global Gold Sponsors: Fonterra
Brands, MSD, Novartis and Tetra Pak. In addition, the
InterContinental Hong Kong, which is hosting the 20 October
launch, will offer a special "bone-friendly" menu
at its acclaimed Cantonese restaurant `Yan Toh Heen'.

    For more information on osteoporosis and IOF please
visit: http://www.iofbonehealth.org 

    For more information, please contact:

     Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, or Elena Grimaud-Ineichen
     International Osteoporosis Foundation - IOF
     Tel:   [phone]
     Fax:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

SOURCE  International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF)