Avoiding the sun too much could cause your bones to weaken

Ras Al Khaimah: If you are one of those women who shun the sun and don’t keep a balanced diet, then you’re a likely candidate for osteoporosis when you get older.

Osteoporosis, a condition that pertains to weakening of the bones making them prone to fractures, affects more than 200 million women worldwide each year according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF).

“Vitamin D generated by sunlight is important and helps prevent the onset of the disease but unfortunately even though sunlight is in abundance, people living here spend very little time outdoors and don’t receive beneficial nutrients from the sun,” Dr John Bera, Specialist and Head of Department, Orthopaedic Surgery at RAK Hospital, said.

“Surprisingly, one in three women in the UAE over the age of 50 is prone to fractures incurred through osteoporosis and could experience osteoporotic fractures. After a hip fracture, 20 per cent of cases can be fatal and 50 per cent cause permanent disability,” he added.

Ageing is a primary risk factor of osteoporosis as people tend to lose bone mass as they age. One in every two women is likely to develop an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime, while among men, the data is one in four, based on IOF figures. Lifestyle change should be made to prevent early onset of the disease.

For this reason, RAK Hospital launched “Love Your Bones” campaign on Sunday in their effort to make the public aware of ways to effectively build bone strength, maintain healthy weight and prevent osteoporosis.

As part of the programme, RAK Hospital provided complimentary consultation with Ortho Specialist and DEXA scan at a nominal fee. The scan safely and accurately measures bone density and is a helpful tool in early detection of osteoporosis.

A sedentary lifestyle coupled with bad eating habits and too little exposure to sunlight have put many UAE residents at risk of developing osteoporosis, Dr Bera said.