|
Kids & Broken Bones: Got Milk?
Stats from March 2004
More and more kids are breaking bones -especially on the slopes. Twenty years ago the number of on slope broken bone injuries were down. As equipment was improved (think hi-tech bindings), the incidence of broken legs fell. But that number is on the upswing. Factor in snowboarding wrist injuries and the number goes up exponentially.
Take a gulp of these stats and get on the milk bandwagon.
Eighty-six (86%) percent of teenage girls and sixty-four (64%) of teenage boys in this country - during their prime bone building years - don't meet their daily calcium requirements.
Teen milk consumption continues to decline. The cause of the decline is not that fewer teens are consuming milk, but rather drinking milk less frequently. Teens consumed milk on averge 4.5 times per day in 2001, down from 5.8 times per day in 1998 and 6.9 times per day in 1993.
Today's teens are consuming twice as much soda (sugared or diet) as milk. Twenty years ago it was the other way around, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The CSPI estimates the average 12-19 year-old maile consumes 868 cans a year (over two per day) and a girl in the same age group drinks 628 sodas (or an average of less than 2 cans per day).
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) calls it a "calcium crisis" and stresses that low or fat-free milk is the preferred calcium source because:
Milk has a very high calcium content (1 eight ounce glass provides 300mgs)
Calcium in milk is easily absorbed by the body
Milk contains other nutrients (like vitamin A, D, B12) that are also essential to healthy bone development
Low-fat and non-fat milk packs the same nutritional punch as regular milk.
Even if you are Lactose Intolerant, you can still drink milk. A recent clinical study (as reported by the New England Journal of Medicine) found that drinking small amounts of milk - or exposing the body to a little lactose daily - actually prevented symptoms. Lactose -free milk is also a widely available alternative.
So that's it from the milk front. Can't chug down another glass of milk? Think milk based hot chocolate, yogurt, or smoothie. Yum!
For more tips see:
Want more on winter family fun? Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter to get the latest on winter family travel & gear deals, plus tips to make your life easier! Ollie in!
|
