How much do you know about bone health? Take the quiz to find out: T F 1. n n Drinking a lot of milk removes your risk for poor bone health. 2. n n You can usually tell if you have poor bone health by the way you feel. 3. n n Weight-bearing exercises put stress on your bones and make them stronger. 4. n n Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium to improve bone health. 5. n n Ece anotrtin ckeep your bones healthy as you age. How did you do? If you didn’t answer all of the statements crcy, yood bet fm lninoot hto build strong bones. Milk contains vitamin D and calcium, but you need exercise for strong bones, too. If your bones are weak, you can’t really tell. A fracture or break is usually thrt siealexerisd othfetlhabits can keep your bones healthy as you age. Monthly Health Challenge ™ Build Strong Bones “I have fallen, and I can’t get up.” You may remember this as-seen- on-TV catchphrase by the older woman named “Mrs. Fletcher” who falls and calls for help. Those words were actually coined by the late New Jersey actress Edith Fore. Before she was the star of the TV ad, she was actually injured in a fall, but managed to call for help. And it saved her life. The classic commercial raised awareness about bone health and the risk of falling. It also became an icon of pop culture spoofed in movies, TV shows, and comic strips. But a fall isn’t a laughing matter. If your bones are weak, they’re more likely to break if you fall. An estimated 54 million people in the United States have poor bone health or osteoporosis.1 It’s a bone disease that depletes tissues and minerals that keep your bones strong. Older people are more likely to have poor bone health. But prevention starts when you’re younger. Want to keep your bones healthy as you age? Take the month-long health challenge to Build Strong Bones. CHALLENGE Strengthen your bones with diet and exercise Are You Making These Bone‑Health Mistakes? Ever wonder what causes weak bones? Sometimes it’s things you should be doing that you’re not. Like weight-bearing exercises and strength training or eating a healthy-diet. Other times, your diet and lifestyle choices increase your risk for poor bone health. Losing some bone mass is a normal part of the aging process. But some choices increase the risk for poor bone health such as:2 • Lack of exercise • High blood pressure • Eating a lot of sodium • Smoking • Drinking caffeine (coffee, energy drinks, or pills) • Eating a lot of red meat • Depression • Drinking too much alcohol • Taking certain medicines (such as steroids, blood thinners or diuretics) Requirements to complete this HEALTH CHALLENGE ™ 1. Read “Build Strong Bones.” 2. To complete the challenge, do things that promote bone health on at least 22 days this month. 3. Keep a record of your completed challenge in ce yoranizoquireoento Answ ers: 1. Fals e. 2. False. 3. True. 4. True. 5. True.