Healthy Bones

10 Surprising facts about bone health

You have cottage cheese for lunch and regularly swim after dinner, so you think you’re getting the calcium and exercise you need to ward off osteoporosis.

Preventing osteoporosis

Last month my 74-year-old mother while walking, tripped on a small tuft of grass, fell - and broke her rib! Her recovery has been painful, debilitating and at times depressing. It also affected my elderly father who relies heavily on her day to day. Surprisingly, this instance of fracture was not due to osteoporosis.

Chalk & cheese: optimum nutrition for bone health

Almost every 8 minutes, someone is admitted to a hospital somewhere in Australia with a fracture due to osteoporosis. 1.9 million, which is 1 in 10 Australians have the condition.

How can I keep my bones strong?

There are things you should do at any age to prevent weakened bones. Eating foods that are rich in calcium and vitamin D is important. So is including regular weight-bearing exercise in your lifestyle. These are the best ways to keep your bones strong and healthy.

Osteoporosis - the bone thief

Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones to the point where they break easily—most often bones in the hip, backbone (spine), and wrist. Osteoporosis is called the “silent disease”—you may not notice any changes until a bone breaks. But your bones have been losing strength for many years.

Tips on how to avoid falling

When your bones are weak, a simple fall can cause a broken bone. This can mean a trip to the hospital and maybe surgery. It might also mean being laid up for a long time, especially in the case of a hip fracture. So, it is important to prevent falls.

Men and osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is not just a woman’s disease. Not as many men have it as women do, but men need to worry about it as well. This may be because most men start with more bone density than women and lose it more slowly as they grow older.

What to do if you have osteoporosis

Treating osteoporosis means stopping the bone loss and rebuilding bone to prevent breaks. Diet and exercise can help make your bones stronger. But they may not be enough if you have lost a lot of bone density.