Indians Are Developing Weak Bones

- Shri K.K.Bajaj

In India, 1 out of 8 males and 1 out of 3 females suffers from osteoporosis, making India one of the largest affected countries in the world. Expert groups peg the number of osteoporosis patients at approximately 2.6 crores (2003 figures) with the numbers projected to increase to 3.6 crores by 2013.

In most Western countries, the peak incidence of osteoporosis occurs at about 70-80 years of age, while in India, it may afflict those 10-20 years younger, at age 50-60 years, says International Osteoporosis foundation.

  Why are bones important to the body?

The skeletal system is made up of bones and teeth. The normal human body has 206 bones which are needed for a variety of functions within the body. Bones are not static, which means they are constantly changing shape and composition to meet the body’s needs. The role of bones extends beyond the function of giving the body its shape. There are many reasons why bones are important to the body –

Support: One of the most important functions that bones have in our body is providing support and structure.

Protection: According to Minnesota State’s Emuseum, the skeletal system also plays an important role in the protection of the vital organs throughout the body. This protective role is perhaps most obvious for the skull and the backbone (vertebrae) as these bones protect the central nervous system.

Movement: The skeletal system also closely interacts with the muscle system in our bodies, to the point where sometimes the two systems are thought of as one entity. Although not all of our muscles need to be attached to bones in order to move (because we have muscles in our digestive and cardiovascular system that help these systems function), the muscles that we use for voluntary movement all require bones to work properly.