Nancy Ajram urges women to make bone health a priority

Dubai, 7 March 2013: Three in five UAE women[1] place their family's health ahead of their own, despite half admitting their own health is average or poor, reveals a new consumer survey.

The survey, commissioned by Anlene, also showed:

  • Women aged 41-50 are the least likely (19%) to exercise daily, compared with 35% of men in the same age bracket.

  • Less than half (45%) are aware of what the recommended daily calcium intake is.

  • Only a third of women are exposed to sunlight - a natural source of Vitamin D - for the required 20 minute period a day.

Ahead of International Women's Day, Anlene and bone health advocate, Nancy Ajram, says this could be putting women at risk of poor bone health and called on UAE women to be aware of this important health issue.

"As a mother I understand how having children changes your priorities in life. They become the most important people to you and therefore looking after your long-term health can take a back seat. I struggled with this when I had my daughters so I am learning to take time out to remember to eat healthy and try to exercise regularly. By looking after your own health, you are setting a good example to your children as well.

"All women should be concerned about their bone health and need to start incorporating weight-bearing exercise into their routine, try and get some daily sun exposure and add ingredients high in calcium and vitamin D into their diet. In addition, supplementing their diet - whether they are in their twenties or forties - with a nutrient-rich milk powder such as Anlene will really help their bones to protect themselves in the future," says Nancy.

The survey also revealed that more than half of the women surveyed aged 41 to 50 have a serious concern about developing a stoop later in life, which is one of the consequences of deteriorating bone health.

Anlene Ambassador Board member, Dr Humeira Badsha, from the Dr Humeira Badsha Medical Center in Dubai, says bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis can have an impact on a person's physical appearance.

"Many people think that their bones are concrete, permanent and unchanging. In fact, our bones are living tissues which break down and regenerate. We have a completely new skeleton every 7-10 years but once we reach 30, our bones can begin to break down faster than they can rebuild themselves.

"It's important for all women, even those in their 20s, to maintain good diet and exercise habits so they can continue to enjoy physical activity or look after their families later in life. Good bone health is essential for people to stay fit and active and continue doing the things they love - whether that's looking after family, playing with your children or simply going for a walk."

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 more than 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.

About Anlene™
Anlene™ is a range of dairy products specially formulated for adults' optimal bone strength.  The range consists of Anlene™ Concentrate, Anlene™ Powder and Anlene™ Yogurt products. Anlene™ Powder contains more calcium than regular fresh milk. Anlene™ Powder also contains important bone nutrients such as Calcium, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Zinc and Protein for optimum bone health. Fonterra has spent more than US$50 million on bone health research over the past 15 years and the experts behind Anlene™ have funded, and been involved in 23 clinical trials relating to bone health.

For further information and regional up-to-date help, advice and support about osteoporosis and bone-related illnesses, please visit Bonehealtharabia.com; facebook.com/BoneHealthArabia, and twitter.com/BoneHealthAr. 

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

[1] 41-50 age bracket

© Press Release 2013