3,298 people screened for low bone density in Kuwait

So far, over 3,298 women had their bones scanned to assess their bone density in addition to receiving nutritional advice from experts on how to maintain good bone health.

The Kuwait campaign, organized by Fonterra, the world's largest dairy exporter, is part of a larger, year long campaign aimed at screening over 100,000 women across the GCC region.

"We are very happy to offer such a service and show our appreciation to the Kuwaiti community that has supported the Anlene brand since its launch, two years ago. There are two main aims to the Anlene campaign; first, to continue to collect more data on the prevalence of osteoporosis in Kuwait; second, to raise awareness, especially among women, of the importance of early screening and detection in order to prevent or treat this debilitating disease immediately at its onset."

said Mr. Mohy El-Adawy, Anlene Market Manager, Fonterra, Kuwait.

Osteoporosis, a skeletal disorder characterized by weakened bones leading to an increased risk of fracture, is a major cause of disability, loss of independence, and in some cases leading to death. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Report, 2004, almost 20% of women who experience a hip fracture die within 1 year.

The 'Anlene Bone Health Check' test is a simple procedure that requires participants to place a foot on a small BMD (ultrasound) machine for approximately 30 seconds. The results generated are a measure of bone strength in the foot which is a great indicator for the rest of the body. Subsequently, an onsite expert will discuss the results with the participant in addition to offering nutritional advice on maintaining good bone health. If the results of the BMD test are below normal levels, then the participant is advised to seek a physician.

To prevent osteoporosis an individual needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet. Two main factors that could lead to osteoporosis is the lack of calcium and vitamin D; according to U.S DRI (recommended intake) a woman needs 1,000mg of calcium and 400IU of Vitamin D per day. Two glasses of Anlene per day, contains 100% of Cal and Vit D (US, DRI) with the ingredient Phyto K to help lock in the nutrients.

"The statistic of osteoporotic women is not only high in Kuwait, but is also at alarming rates in other parts of the GCC, such as Saudi Arabia, where we have seen a high prevalence in women as well as men. Anlene has screened over 20,000 people in Saudi and is currently running a similar bone scanning campaign there," concluded Yauwanan Wigneswaran, Brand Manager, Anlene.