From: Thursday, May 27, 1999
Exhibit raises awareness of healthy bones
by LA TOYA HANKINS, The Charlotte Post
C
harlotte residents have a chance to join the ranks of Vanessa Williams and Spike Lee and learn more about a crippling disease that strikes Africans American hard.The Milk Mustache Mobile will be in Charlotte Saturday to encourage more people to drink at least three glasses of calcium-rich milk a day and
to snap photos of people wearing milk mustaches."Helping Americans achieve the recommended daily amounts of calcium is a national public health priority," said Sandra C. Raymond, executive
director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. "We applaud the efforts of the tour. This is one of the largest grassroots education programs to help address a serious nutritional problem in this country.
One easy solution is right in the refrigerator but most people are still not drinking enough milk and getting the calcium they need. We hope to change that in the decade ahead."
Osteoporosis, a bone disease that causes 1.5 million fractures a year is a major health concern for more than 28 million Americans. One in two women and one in eight men over the age of 50 will
have an osteoporosis fracture in their lifetime. The disease is characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue leading to bone fragility and increased susceptibility to fractures
of the hip, spine and wrist. Even through whites and Asians are often more affected than African Americans, 10 percent of African Americans over 50 still suffer from the problem. An additional 30 percent have low bone
density that puts them at risk of developing the condition. More milk consumption is one of the goals behind the Milk Mustache Mobile. Each Milk Mustache
Mobile will offer free testing for determining bone density for individuals most at risk of developing osteoporosis. They will also be tested for high blood pressure.
Along with cutting down on osteoporosis, calcium also helps in the fight against high blood pressure, which blacks are at a significant higher risk than any other group.
The Charlotte Milk Mustache Mobile will be at the following locations:
- Friday
Farmer's Market, 1801 Yorkmont Road, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
- Saturday
Charlotte Motor Speedway, Highway 29, Concord, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Sunday
Food Lion, 9323 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, 4:30-7 p.m .
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