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(e.g. using weights or resistance bands) can help to maintain our bone strength and ensure a steady and gradual decline as we age, alongside a healthy diet.
mainly affects older people, but certain stress factors such as poor diet, eating disorders and certain medications can put younger people at risk. For these reasons it is vitally important to maintain good health and seek support if you find yourself struggling with your diet, mental health or weight.
On a personal note, I’m ashamed to say I actually missed the campaign in 2017, but one thing I didn’t miss out on was getting osteoporosis. I have had anorexia nervosa since my early teens and accordingly neglected my physical and mental health since this. People with an eating disorder are more susceptible to osteoporosis due to hormone production, poor nutrition, low body weight and lack of menstruation. By the age of 20 my bone density was in the osteoporosis range – I had failed to respond to warnings of low bone density previously.
Some simple things you can do today to aid better bone health are: • Eat a balanced diet - eating and drinking the right things can help support your bone health at every stage of your life. Calcium and vitamin D are two nutrients well-known to be important for bones. But there are many other vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are vital to help your bones stay healthy and strong. • Weight training - can help make you stronger and may improve your bone density if you train regularly a few times a week on non-consecutive days. Most gyms run introductory sessions and provide some basic advice about safe lifting techniques and which machines to use. • Refrain from excessive alcohol consumption alcohol affects the cells that build and break down bone and also makes you unsteady on your feet, making you more likely to trip, fall and break a bone. • Give up smoking - smoking slows down the cells that build bone in your body.
I’m now over 20 years into anorexia and still struggling to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, sadly and as a consequence my bones are struggling. I am fortunate to have an excellent, supportive and knowledgeable gym instructor at Penarth Leisure Centre who is helping me with appropriate weight resistance exercises and appropriate amounts of exercise, as overdoing it can be as detrimental as inactivity. I have access to mental health services including dietetics to help me with diet and mental health. Alongside this, I also work with older residents in the NHS, many of whom have osteoporosis and have had falls, which makes my passion to spread positive bone health messages even more prominent.
You are not alone with the quest for better bone health. The Royal Osteoporosis Society have an excellent website designed to support everyone to maintain a good level of bone health. Visit theros.org.uk for a great range of information to help increase your knowledge and ways to access support.
Most people I share that I have it are surprised ‘at my age’, which is why I’m keen to spread the word that when it comes to bone health and age, osteoporosis doesn’t discriminate. As mentioned, it
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Article - Natalie McCulloch - Marc... page 3
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