Pfizer Love Your Bones Global Campaign

Yesterday at Flavors in Holiday Inn and Suites, bloggers were treated to a calcium-rich event of Caltrate Plus for Pfizer Love Your Bones  Global Campaign to help address the growing problem on osteoporosis. 

Bloggers were treted to a bone screening; I'm glad that my result is within the normal range

 

The event was hosted by Andi Manzano.

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (PCH) partnered with the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) to spearhead the local celebration of World Osteoporosis Day  (WOD). Aptly themed "Served up Bone Strength, WOD 2015 focuses on the importance of adopting a bone-healthy diet throughout a person's lifetime to optimize bone strength.  The campaign highlights the point that poor nutrition is one of the critical risk factors for developing bone-related diseases. Pfizer Consumer Healthcare support the IOF in its advocacy to inform the people about osteoporosis and the fact that it can be prevented, Adequate intake of the right nutrients contributes to bone health at all ages and is a first step in osteoporosis prevention.  For those who already have osteoporosis, a bone-healthy nutrition should be part of their treatment and rehabilitation program.

WOD is an occasion when people around the globe unite to put the spotlight on the immense burden caused by osteoporosis and other musculoskeletal diseases, and the actions that can be taken to prevent and treat them.  It aims to put bone, muscle, and joint health on the global health agenda.

According to IOF, osteoporosis affects over 200 million people worldwide.  Approximately one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50 will break a bone (also known as osteoporotic fracture) due to the silent disease.

Fractures, specifically hip fractures, can cause loss of function and independence with 40% of patients unable to walk independently; 60% requiring assistance a year late; 33% being totally dependent on or in a nursing home.  Moreover, hip fractures cause the greatest morbidity with reported mortality up to 20-24% in the first year after a person suffers a hip fracture

In the Philippines, PCH has remained a solid supporter of this global movement and has advocated various activities in the past to raise awareness on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. Exercise is important in the prevention of osteoporosis, and yoga is one of the best that help enhance bone health. 

An overview of yoga during the event

It is crucial to build strong bones early in life by following a healthy diet as it is the key ingredient in helping a person achieve peak bone mass, and maintaining it throughout life.  Proper nutrition is also an important factor in battling osteoporosis. Young chefs demonstrated how to cook calcium-enriched quishe. 

Three of the major nutrients that help optimize bone health are: calcium, vitamin D, and protein, with recommended daily allowances varying throughout life. "Regulating calcium levels in the body promotes better bone mass density (BMD), alongside improving muscle performance and balance. Taking a calcium supplement with adequate levels of Vitamin D3 also helps maximize calcium absorption.

While works, it is also important to have holistic approach to osteoporosis prevention and management.

Osteoporosis is an incurable disease, but controlling its risk factors and complying with treatment regimens where prescribed can ensure a mobile, independent, and fracture-free life.

For more information on osteoporosis and World Osteoporosis Day 2015, visit www.worldosteoporosisday.org, follow IOF on Instagram (@worldosteoporosisday) or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/worldosteoporosisday), or subscribe to its YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/iofbonehealth).

(View more photos HERE)