As an anthropologist, I have the opportunity to study how different cultures react to change. I enjoy seeing how an idea that at first seems impossible or “radical” eventually becomes accepted by the mainstream.

For example, in January of 1992, AT&T released the first video-telephone, costing a mere $1,499. How many of us realized then that 20 years later it would be common to be video chatting on our cell phones… even on a daily basis?

Thinking back to my work 20 years ago, I was one of the few advocating that there was more to osteoporotic fractures than low bone density and also, that women had natural options to strengthen their bones. Now, let me be clear, I wasn’t saying these things because I was a genius — I was saying them because they were supported by impressive research. But then, as timing would have it, the natural approach became overshadowed with the approval of Fosamax in 1995.

That’s why I was delighted recently to see that leaders in the field are now expanding their perspective regarding what is the best approach for bone health. In a January 18, 2012 article in The New York Times titled “Patients With Normal Bone Density Can Delay Retests, Study Suggests,” medical reporter Gina Kolata writes that the study, which was published in The New England Journal of Medicine, “is part of a broad rethinking of how to diagnose and treat” bone loss.

Kolata then points out how the medical community itself isn’t convinced bone drugs are your best option for bone health. To be exact, Kolata writes “…medical experts no longer recommend the medicines (bisphosphonates) to prevent osteoporosis itself. They no longer want women to take them indefinitely, and no longer consider bone density measurements the sole defining factor in deciding if a woman needs to be treated.”

I am also impressed by Dr. Ethel S. Siris, an osteoporosis researcher at Columbia University interviewed by the Times, who noted that osteopenia is a risk factor, not a disease. I am hoping to talk with Dr. Siri about her work in an upcoming blog post.

I find it encouraging that attitudes seem to be shifting away from such a narrow view of bone health. Let’s hope that the “radical” thoughts about bone drugs and bone health advance as quickly as phone technology!

References:

The New York Times, Kolata, G. Patients With Normal Bone Density Can Delay Retests, Study Suggests, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/health/bone-density-tests-for-osteoporosis-can-wait-study-says.html?_r=1,(Accessed 01.31.12)

Gourlay, Mararet L, M.D., M.P.H2012. Bone-Density Testing Interval and Transition to Osteoporosis in Older Women. N Engl J Med 2012; 366:225-233 http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1107142 (Accessed 01.31.12)

Happy 2012! It’s time for my annual wish list for bone health in the coming year. And this time, I’m also including a suggestion — or two — along with each wish — that can serve as a little push for its fulfillment. After all, our wisdom and our collective focus can actually make wishes come true — especially important to remember in an area as essential as bone health!

My 2012 wish list:

1. 2012 will herald a new age of partnership between physicians and their patients. Physicians will partner with each individual woman to develop a unique bone strengthening program appropriate for that woman and the way she lives.

And just in case this wish needs a little push… If your healthcare provider thinks that your bone health situation is serious enough to warrant use of a bone drug, then we know it’s serious enough to warrant a full medical workup looking for the hidden causes of bone loss. Take my osteoporosis medical workup recommendations to your doctor and say you also are concerned about your bone health and would like these tests to look for possible causes of osteoporosis.

2. Everyone will be tested for vitamin D adequacy. It will be widely recognized that as many as half of all osteoporotic fractures could be prevented by maintaining a minimum 32 ng blood level of vitamin D. This awareness will inspire universal vitamin D testing.

And just in case this wish needs a little push… If you can’t obtain vitamin D testing from your healthcare provider, you can order an at-home vitamin D test online from public interest groups such as the Vitamin D Council and Grassroots Health.

3. Everyone who experiences a fracture that occurs without great trauma will take the hint from nature and get serious about implementing my Better Bones Program.

And just in case this wish needs a little push … Make it a New Year’s resolution to spend some time reading my articles about bone health. You will see that our Better Bones Program offers a life-supporting approach that fortifies bone while it strengthens your entire body. Even if you feel your fracture was due to trauma, you will be inspired to further strengthen your bone by joining us in our natural Better Bones Revolution.

4. The “Alkaline for Life” concept will become a household saying and even restaurants will offer alkalizing meal alternatives.

And just in case this wish needs a little push… Make it another of your New Year’s resolutions to include two cups of vegetables for lunch and dinner, use more spices and herbs, consume two or three fruits a day and reduce your intake of excess protein, caffeine, sugar, alcohol and processed foods. And explore more options!

5. Chronic stress, excessive worry, and fear will become recognized as key emotions that disrupt neuroendocrine functioning and weaken bone. Meditation, stress reduction techniques, and mindful exercises such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong will become essential elements of all osteoporosis prevention and treatment programs.

And just in case you get this message before the insurance companies do… Commit yourself to creating peace and inner quiet on a daily basis. Take 10-15 minutes a day, close your eyes and just relax. Notice your breath and entertain the idea that all is well, even amid any turmoil in the present moment.

Let’s make all of our wishes come true in 2012!

Exercise is, of course, the way to build both muscle and bone. But ... are there ways to make exercise easier, to “do less and accomplish more”?

My answer is “Yes!”

The weighted vest is one of the best short cuts and “exercise amplifiers” I know of. This is exercise equipment that you wear. It became my client Sheryl’s best friend, and it could become your best friend too! See why with our YouTube video.

Benefits for the athlete in all of us

Weighted vests were developed to enhance strength training in athletes. But this unique piece of equipment has a long list of benefits — even if you don’t consider yourself an “athlete:”

•    Regular, long-term use can increase both muscle strength and bone mass while enhancing balance and stability and reducing lateral sway.

•    Measureable improvement in muscle strength is seen in 12 weeks or less, and “feeling stronger” is often noted by the wearer, as Sheryl details in our video.

•    Studies suggest that best results with improved bone mass take place when the vest is used over the long term, and when it is used while actively exercising.

•    Using a weighted vest is simple, safe and effective. The vest has pockets that hold individual weights and you begin with only a pound or two of added weights. Over time, you add more weights, working up to a total of 10% of your body weight.

•    A weighted vest is especially helpful for low-weight women. Wearing additional weight provides for increased ground-force impact with each step — helping to stimulate new bone growth and requiring less total walking time to achieve the same amount of bone-building stimulation.

There are so many interesting studies about the benefits of the weighted vest. One of my favorites looked at women aged 65–73 who exercised three times a week doing strength training (without the vest) combined with walking, stair climbing, and balance exercises while wearing the weighted vest. Gradually the weight in the vest was raised to 10% of the participant’s body weight.

Over the 32-week study, those doing the exercises with the vest gained 11% bone density in the hip (in the area known as the femoral neck, where fractures often take place), while also increasing balance and strength, and reducing body sway. The non-exercising sedentary control women lost significant hip density in the femoral neck.

As the researchers summarized, “This evidence clearly demonstrates that exercise training can offer a non-pharmacological alternative for improving bone health and balance in older women who choose not to take hormones or osteoporosis medications.”

So, why not grab your new best friend, the weighted vest, and get started exercising today? Learn more.

References:
Jessup, J. V., C. Horne, R. K. Vishen, and D. Wheeler. 2003. Effects of exercise on bone density, balance, and self-efficacy in older women. Biological Research for Nursing 4(3):171–180.