KUALA LUMPUR: The modern lifestyle that
literally means a sedentary lifestyle to most people today is the source of
numerous health woes.
Life goes by sitting and watching television,
reading, idling, sleeping, spending hours in front of the computer, eating and
indulging in video games, all without much mobility.
Routine exercise and outdoor activities seem
to be the privilege of a few.
A recent study provided a clearer snapshot of
Malaysians’ sedentary ways with three out of every four Malaysians doing more
mental work than physical work.
This already unhealthy lifestyle is further
compounded by the fact many Malaysians prefer food rich in fats and cholesterol
and less in fiber – beef/lamb steak, pizza with different layers of cheese or
the pasta.
With better life expectancy, thanks to modern
medicine, Malaysia will have 3.4 million people above 60 by 2020 and this is a
cause of concern as many Malaysians are leading a unhealthy lifestyle now and
the implications will be seen when they get older.
Why
awareness on good health is important
Malaysians have every reason to worry over
their unhealthy lifestyle that makes them vulnerable to ailments, and
especially when healthcare is getting costlier as time goes by.
One of the outcome of an unhealthy lifestyle
that manifests at old age is osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis, that literally means brittle
bones, is difficult to detect until someone breaks a hip bone or the backbone,
the obvious symptom of the disease.
Dr Chin Chee Howe, an Orthopedic and Trauma
surgeon noted that even a bone inspection x-ray would not be able to detect the
problem until the bones shed up to 50 percent of their mass.
Dr Chin explained that the human body
regardless of the age needs constant supply of calcium especially when looking
at the fact that bones are living tissues that reabsorb the calcium and
resynthesize new bones.
High
risk women
Women face three times greater risk than men
in suffering from osteoporosis, and thus it is pertinent that this group
reviewed their unhealthy lifestyle.
In the natural state, women have less calcium
in their bone and thus their bone mass is much lesser. They lose calcium due to
unhealthy habits like smoking, eating less to keep their body shape or even due
to pregnancy and menopause.
Longer life expectancy also contributes to the
problem.
“Studies found that women in their late 60s
with broken hip bones face five times greater mortality risk within a year due
to the bones breaking or blood clot problems,” explained Dr Chin.
However, the reduction of bone mass is
expected to continue and by 2050 more than 50 per cent of hip bone fractures
are expected to occur in Asia.
“And it is going to be a big problem when
looking at the high cost in managing and treating broken bones, thus it is
important to draw up early strategy and carry out proactive steps in preserving
their bones,” said Chin adding the age old adage prevention is better than cure
to his remark.
Go
on a healty life style
Life is definitely going to be tough for those
who break their bones due to osteoporosis, ending up wheel-chair bound or
bed-ridden?
So the best thing to do is to take preventive
steps early.
Good diet and routine exercise helps one to
attain the maximum bone mass by the age of 30.
The balanced diet that includes sufficient
calcium, added with Vitamin D through the safe exposure to sunlight, magnesium
from green vegetables and regular exercise help women in keeping away from the
bone ravaging disease.
Dr Chin proposed the easiest exercise to
strengthen the bones – a brisk walk for 30 minutes daily or carry weight to
help in the natural bone building process, other than consuming high calcium
milk and dairy products.
“Physical activities are important to build
and preserve bone mass to enable us to use the full potential of our bones,
apart from rejuvenating our physical and mental health,” he stressed pointing
out that high calcium milk and low fat yogurt are the best choice for women.
Nutritient
for bones
Speaking on calcium intake, Dr Chin suggested
that calcium rich food is more effective than the vast array of calcium
supplements available in the market with magnesium and vitamin D that helps in
the absorption of calcium.
The food that holds the key to good bone
health are diary products, green vegetables, soy bean products like tofu and
tempe, fish like sardine, salmon and tuna, and marine food.
What is more important is that everyone has to
be aware of the health issues in old age and take preventive actions early.
Meanwhile, studies conducted by a leading
diary firm from New Zealand, Fonterra, found that a significant number of
Malaysian women are aware on why calcium is important to health but harbour the
wrong notion that it is too early for them to worry over it.
However, Fonterra continues its campaign with
its improved Anlene products from time to time including the latest product
Anlene Concentrate, milk in a small carton with high calcium content compared
with fresh milk.
Bernama
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