Bonehealtharabia.com is the Middle East's first bilingual website offering local advice and support on bone health

Launched by Anlene, the brand of dairy products specially formulated for adults to help build healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis

Dubai, 16 September, 2012: Everyday countless women across the Middle East suffer from the debilitating disease osteoporosis, but with the right nutrition and lifestyle choices so many women can avoid the same fate; starting today.

The launch of Bonehealtharabia.com, the region's first ever dedicated bone health website, marks the next step in Anlene's ongoing campaign to highlight the importance of bone health across the Middle East.

Anlene, whose parent company is Fonterra, the world's largest dairy producer, identified a pressing need in the Middle East for residents to have access to relevant regional up-to-date help, advice and support about the 'silent' disease osteoporosis and bone-related illnesses.

Visitors to the site will find all they need to know about maintaining strong and healthy bones. They will also receive recommendations on where to turn for professional help in the Middle East, watch videos with personal advice from the Anlene Board of Ambassadors, and be able to ask Anlene experts bone health related questions. 

Joanne Todd, Fonterra Brands Nutritionist and Senior Health Platform Manager, explains: "Thousands of women across the Middle East suffer from bone related diseases such as osteoporosis, a debilitating disease that seriously impacts the health and wellbeing of people who suffer from it.

"We developed Bonehealtharabia.com as part of our ongoing campaign to help educate people about the importance of bone health. With just the click of a mouse, people across the region will find a one-stop bone health portal that provides them with access to relevant, regional up-to-date information, advice and support."

Meher Mirchandani, CEO of Meher & Riddhima and Anlene Ambassador Board member, understands first-hand how important it is to have access to current, quality health information and advice online. "My grandmother suffered from osteoporosis a number of years ago and I would have found it so helpful to have a site where I could see how people in a similar situation to me and my family were coping, as well as asking questions and get advice from experts to help prevent the disease affecting the younger generations.

"Although more and more local organisations are starting to embrace the opportunities available online, when it comes to health and medical resources, there are few places for people to turn to. With osteoporosis sadly being such a prevalent disease amongst women in the Middle East, and yet with simple steps it can be prevented, it's great to see the Anlene team taking the initiative to provide Bonehealtharabia.com, a comprehensive, easy to access site with loads of clear explanations."

Bonehealtharabia.com is updated with the latest news and developments on bone health in the region on a weekly basis, and Kamal Gupta, Managing Director, Fonterra Brands Middle East and North Africa, says the company is hoping the site will become an indispensable source for anyone with a question on osteoporosis or bone health.

"Our main goal is to raise awareness about the realities of osteoporosis and help to dispel any myths surrounding the disease. There is a general lack of understanding of osteoporosis in the region, evident from the data gathering from our Anlene Bone Health Checks, which we have been carrying out free across the GCC since 2005. We have scanned more than 125,000 people and found that one in three women and one in five men between 25 and 40 years of age across the Middle East are at risk of developing the disease later in life."

In addition to Bonehealtharabia.com, users can also visit the dedicated Facebook page facebook.com/BoneHealthArabia and Twitter twitter.com/BoneHealthAr for more up-to-the minute bone health advice and support, as well as details of upcoming events and Bone Health Checks in your area.

Mr Gupta adds, "The disease is preventable yet with such a high proportion of residents at risk of developing the disease, there is clearly a lack of resources available. It can be difficult to know where to turn if you have a question, so we have designed Bonehealtharabia.com to be simple to navigate with clear information and a section where visitors can send their questions to our panel of experts."

To date, Anlene's parent company Fonterra has spent over US$50million on bone health research to increase its understanding of osteoporosis and the role of dairy in its prevention. This includes 18 clinical trials to evaluate how dairy best supports bone health. Fonterra is the International Osteoporosis Foundation's (IOF's) Primary Nutrition Partner in the Middle East. The partnership is dedicated to raising awareness and improving bone health.

As part of this, Anlene, a nutrient-rich adult milk and range of dairy products, was developed by Fonterra almost 20 years ago to promote good bone health. The range was introduced to the Middle East in 2007. It includes a formulation of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, zinc and magnesium which combine to assist the effective absorption of bone nutrients and improve bone quality.

-Ends-

For further information contact:
Emma Jones
ASDA'A Burson Marsteller
Dubai, UAE
Tel: 9714 450 7600
emma.jones@bm.com

or visit Bonehealtharabia.com, facebook.com/BoneHealthArabia, twitter.com/BoneHealthAr

About Fonterra
Fonterra is a global leader in dairy nutrition - the preferred supplier of dairy ingredients to many of the world's leading food companies. Fonterra is also a market leader with our own consumer dairy brands in Australia/New Zealand, Asia/Africa, Middle East and Latin America.

The farmer-owned New Zealand co-operative is the largest processor of milk in the world, producing more than two million tonnes of dairy ingredients, value added dairy ingredients, specialty ingredients and consumer products every year. Drawing on generations of dairy expertise, Fonterra is one of the largest investors in dairy based research and innovation in the world. Our 16,000 staff work across the dairy spectrum from advising farmers on sustainable farming and milk production, to ensuring we live up to exacting quality standards and delivering every day on our customer promise in more than 100 markets around the world.

Fonterra has spent more than US$50 million in the last decade to better understand osteoporosis and has also recently renewed its partnership with the International Osteoporosis Foundation. As its Regional Nutrition Sponsor, Fonterra will be continuing to work closely with IOF in the Middle East to raise awareness and increase education around the disease.

About Anlene
ANLENE™ is a range of dairy products specially formulated for adults' optimal bone health.  The range consists of Powder, UHT, Pasteurised and Yogurt products. ANLENE™ contains more calcium than regular milk. ANLENE™ also contains scientifically selected nutrients to work with the calcium to ensure enhanced absorption and bone strength.  Fonterra has spent more than US$50 million on bone health research and US$15 million directly on the development of ANLENE™.  Over the past 10 years, the experts behind ANLENE™ have funded, and been involved with 18 clinical trials relating to bone health.

In 2007, ANLENE milk powder for adults was launched across the Middle East and is now the best selling adult milk brand in the UAE. (Neilson Retail Audit, Feb 2010)

Anlene Bone Health Check Data
The Anlene Bone Health Check provides free bone scans to the public using ultrasonometer technology. The programme provides people with an estimate of their risk of poor bone health, and is not used for diagnostic purposes. Statistics are collected on the number of participants in each zone of risk and summarised on a population basis.

For further information please visit Bonehealtharabia.com, facebook.com/BoneHealthArabia, twitter.com/BoneHealthAr

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© Press Release 2012