Fonterra unit promotes better bone health

A national public awareness program for bone health was launched in Shanghai on Sunday, the day before World Osteoporosis Day.

In osteoporosis, bones weaken and become susceptible to fracture. The disorder is a growing concern in all countries, especially those with large populations over the age of 50.

The program aims to give people a better understanding of the condition and encourage them to get involved with the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, which will improve the quality of life for everyone and reduce the national healthcare burden.

The program involves public education, data collection and free bone health checks.

Under the program, Anlene, an milk powder brand of New Zealand's Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, will work with medical experts to collect bone health data in China. The information will be used in research and compiled into a book on China's bone health.

Anlene will provide free bone health checks for at least 1.8 million Chinese residents and offer bone nutrition and health counseling services.

"The study of bone health is very important, and this information will serve as a reference for experts' research," said osteoporosis expert Liu Zhonghou, who is editor-in-chief of the Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis.

"Attention to bone health should be paid at a younger age. Exercise and a healthy lifestyle help prevent osteoporosis," he said.

In China, the incidence of osteoporosis keeps rising and patients are becoming much younger. The number of osteoporosis patients exceeds 90 million.

Medical experts estimate that the number of people who have low bone density or osteoporosis will reach 286 million by 2020 and 533 million by 2050.