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Celebration of LifeArchive for fragile bones
‘Carbonated soft drinks, junk food cause osteoporosis at an early age’
Irfan Aligi
KARACHI: Dow University of Health Sciences Prof. of Anatomy and research scholar on osteoporosis Dr Amanullah Mangi told Daily Times in an exclusive interview that osteoporosis is a disease that should be treated with food, not drugs.
The youth of Pakistan from age groups of 15 to 25 are at the brink of ruin and they are at a risk of many health problems especially osteoporosis after the age of 35 because of an unhealthy diet consisting mostly of carbonated soft drinks and fast food “I can say on the basis of my research that carbonated beverages and fast food destroy bones. I have data on side effects of cold drinks and fast food, which I collected after a study on a group of 10 boys from the age group of 18 to 25, who drank carbonated drinks and ate burgers,” claimed Mangi. The BMD results were below the normal limit in all volunteers.
The use of carbonated drinks and fast food makes the bones fragile. I strongly recommend that the fast food and soft drink culture should be eliminated from our society so that we can save our youth, added Mangi.
Efforts for the creation of awareness about osteoporosis can only be successful if common and easy-to-understand terminology is used, said Mangi. It is in line of directives of the World Health Organization (WHO) that doctors should treat the root causes of the diseases rather than focusing on the symptoms. Those who treat the symptoms are quacks, commented Mangi.
It is pertinent to mention that World Osteoporosis Day is celebrated on October 20 across the globe every year. This day serves as a focal point for the international community to inform and educate the public and policy makers about the importance of osteoporosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Osteoporosis affects around one in three women and one in five men around the world. Pakistan has a high prevalence of osteoporosis, with 97 percent of women, aged 75 to 84 years, and 55 percent of women aged 45 to 54 years suffering from it.
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