KNOWLEDGE

Sedentary Lifestyle Leads to Early-Onset Osteopenia!

September 8, 2014

People with 9-to-5 jobs are more often than not glued to their desk throughout the day. This may seem like the norm for a lot of people, but did you know this kind of sedentary lifestyle makes you more at risk for early-onset osteopenia?

We’ve all heard every medical and health expert everywhere suggesting us to move more for our own good. From our general practitioners to health-oriented talk shows on TV, everyone is campaigning against sedentary lifestyle. But, let’s face it; rarely does the message sink into our head!

Our gym membership might expire soon without us having step our foot there. We ask the office boy to buy food for us so we won’t have to move an inch during lunch break. Nowadays, we’re not exactly very active people. Sedentary lifestyle is the norm, and it’s worrying.

Sedentary lifestyle is the root to a lot of health problems and osteopenia is just one of the many. Osteopenia is considered by many doctors as the precursor to osteoporosis. It’s a condition where the bone density level in our body is lower than normal peak density but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis or any bone density loss problem is often associated with old age. But this is not true. Younger people are still at risk of getting this problem if they don’t take care of their bone health. One thing for sure, osteopenia is not age-related. “A few months ago, I was diagnosed with osteopenia by my doctor. The doctor said that the osteopenia might occurred due to my sedentary lifestyle and lack of a much needed physical activity. At first I was shocked! I’m only 25 years old, so in my head there was no way I could have problems with my bones just like someone much older would! From what I knew back then, bone health issues usually happen to menopausal women. But after the doctor explained to me that this is not the case, I started to realize how important exercise and physical activity for my health. To prevent it to progress to full-blown osteoporosis, I started to fit exercise to my daily routine and make sure I’m getting enough calcium,” Said Dini, 25 years old.

Bone loss that’s usually started off with osteopenia can hit anybody. Dr. Siti Annisa Nuhoni, Sp. RM (K) said that bone loss is no longer exclusively suffered by menopausal women. “Younger people are also at risk of getting osteoporosis. Unhealthy lifestyle, smoking, alcohol, and lack of physical activity can trigger osteopenia, which is the precursor of osteoporosis. Don’t think that only menopausal women can have this problem, young men and women are just as much as risk as their older counterparts if they don’t pay attention to their lifestyle and calcium intake,” said dr. Honni.

Unhealthy lifestyle can cause obesity and cardiovascular diseases, but it can also cause bone loss. It might seem insignificant, but having weak bones or even osteopenia and osteoporosis at your prime age is no joke. Just think about it, if your bones are already having problems at your 20s, what would happen to you in 5 to 10 years time?

First published on www.fimela.com. Translated and edited by Gold's Gym Indonesia.