Nestlé Encourages Women in Dubai to Maintain Healthy Bones

Nestlé has been working with the IOF to offer people bone health checks and access to expert advice on health and nutrition in supermarkets and stores in countries including Argentina, Brazil, China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

18 Jul 2012 --- Nestlé is supporting a new public health campaign in Dubai to encourage more women to keep their bones healthy to help delay or prevent osteoporosis.

The company is working with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) to provide free health screenings and bone density tests at clinics and medical centres across the principality.

The ‘Care for your Body, Care for your Health’ campaign offers women expert advice on steps they can take to help prevent the condition, in which bones become thin and fragile.

The campaign emphasises the importance of balanced nutrition and a healthy lifestyle as two ways of helping to build bone mass.

Hormonal change

“Hormonal change that accompanies menopause in women is one of the strongest risk factors for osteoporosis,” said Zeinab Maktabi, a nutritionist at Nestlé Middle East.

“Insufficient calcium intake in the diet, lack of sun exposure resulting in deficiency of vitamin D, smoking, lack of exercise, taking certain medications, and the presence of conditions such as thyroid or rheumatic diseases are some of the other contributing factors.

“Ensuring proper nutrition, including adequate calcium intake, can help to keep bones healthy and strong.” she added.

Early detection

The campaign highlights the need to detect and treat osteoporosis early.

The so-called ‘silent disease’ usually has no noticeable symptoms until bones have become so weak that they break easily. It is often diagnosed after a patient breaks a bone, or during the course of a routine bone density test.

Worldwide, osteoporosis is more common in women than men. According to the World Health Organization, global variation in the incidence and prevalence of osteoporosis is difficult to determine because of problems with its definition and diagnosis.

Healthy diet

“Maintaining a healthy diet and weight can contribute to the prevention of many chronic conditions and diseases,” Ms Maktabi continued.

“The campaign makes a range of educational communications materials available to consumers, which include nutrition recommendations for weight management.

“We are pleased to contribute to a public health effort that leverages our nutrition expertise and the expertise and resources of the DHA, Dubai’s foremost health authority.”

Worldwide efforts

The ‘Care for your Body, Care for your Health’ campaign runs until October 2012 and will involve several government departments and public institutions across the principality.

Nestlé’s support of the campaign is part of its worldwide commitment to help raise awareness of osteoporosis.

In April, the company announced a new partnership with the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) to help make consumers more aware of what can be done to help prevent the condition.

Nestlé has been working with the IOF to offer people bone health checks and access to expert advice on health and nutrition in supermarkets and stores in countries including Argentina, Brazil, China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

In the Middle East, Nestlé is also one of the official partners of the Pan Arab Osteoporosis Society (PAOS). The company's nutrition experts participate in a variety of other events and conferences across the region to help raise awareness about the importance of bone health.

Basic research

The Nestlé Research Center (NRC) in Lausanne, Switzerland, carries out extensive basic research in bone health.

This short booklet , produced by the NRC in 2009, helps to explain why osteoporosis is often described as a ‘paediatric condition with geriatric consequences’, as prevention efforts should really begin in childhood.