In this modern age of speed and constant change, our increasingly hectic lifestyles are beginning to take their toll on us in ways we would never have expected 20, even 10 years ago. The diseases we once attributed to old age - osteoporosis among them - are now starting to affect younger men and especially women around the world and scientists are investigating this worrisome phenomenon with a view of letting us know what to do to prevent it and protect ourselves.
However, things may be worse than we imagine. A recent study conducted in Britain by the University of Surrey and the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro shows that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of women with ages between 20 and 29 who have low bone mass (a disease known as osteopenia) which, unless treated properly, could develop into early onset osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones, which makes them brittle and prone to fractures. Most adult women are familiar with the risks and potential damages caused by osteoporosis, but it's usually something our mothers or grandmother ought to watch out for, and definitely not a source of concern for someone in their mid-twenties. Guess again. The previously mentioned study shows that osteoporosis, a condition that usually appears in women in their late 50s and older, could now affect an entire generation of young women, and the main cause for this is our present-day lifestyle.
"Several of the main risk factors for loss of bone mass are to do with lifestyle", explains Dr Susan Lanham-New who was part of the research team that came up with the study. "Smoking and drinking are particularly harmful to bone. Nicotine is directly toxic to bone cells, and so is excessive alcohol consumption [...]. The current obsession with weight loss is also a problem", she explains. "Given that our bodies start laying down bone from birth and continue doing so until the age of 35, it was shocking to find that almost one fifth of the young women we tested had already begun losing bone mass", she added.
Out of the previously mentioned causes, the most dangerous is the one relating to unhealthy weight loss. "Traditionally, osteoporosis is associated with women in their late 50s. But these days, the size zero culture means many more young women are in the underweight category, putting them at increased risk of osteopenia", Dr Lanham-New added. According to her, the best solution is to watch our diets and make sure our calcium intake is well up, we get enough exercise and spend enough time outside to allow our vitamin D intake to increase. The biggest risk factor for osteoporosis is genetic predisposition, but with the proper amount of care and a healthy lifestyle, we can at least keep the situation under control.
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