Powerful Bones, Powerful Girls – Powerful Message

A recent feature on MSNBC profiled the "Powerful Bones, Powerful Girls" campaign which is promoted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The campaign aims to educate girls that what they do now makes a difference later for their bones, and gives special attention to recommendations regarding calcium intake and exercise.

By Madeline Behrendt, D.C.

A recent feature on MSNBC profiled the “Powerful Bones, Powerful Girls” campaign which is promoted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The campaign aims to educate girls that what they do now makes a difference later for their bones, and gives special attention to recommendations regarding calcium intake and exercise. The MSNBC article also includes recommendations for specific age groups, for women over 30, this includes a special emphasis on medications.

For those paying attention, there is a powerful message here, and 2 points to consider:
1) What’s missing from this information?
2) Kids are being marketed to directly regarding health issues.

What harm could come out of a campaign teaching girls to take care of their bones? The harm can come from what is missing. The information from the MSNBC article is no surprise, we have been told the best source of calcium is dairy products and that Hormone Replacement Therapy “prevents” osteoporosis so many times, that these responses are almost a reflex for many. Yet what’s missing is the information that:

after generations of milk promotion, osteoporosis has now reached epidemic proportions in the West, while in countries where milk is not consumed, osteoporosis barely exists. Milk is the most common food allergen in the Western world.

studies show a link between juvenille diabetes and cows milk

concerns that hormones, steroids, and antibiotics present in the milk interfere with hormonal balance, digestion, and immune system, and increase antibiotic resistance

What’s missing is that:

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has failed in scientific studies that evaluated over time the benefits it was suggested for (i.e. heart disease), in fact it has been shown to cause harm, including causing cancer, and in June a major report will be published that challenges it’s widespread recommendation.

Estrogen benefit to bone is minimal, it is reported to be beneficial in maintaining bone mass (not building), however to receive this effect, the medication must be taken regularly, it has no long term benefits, and the risks of taking estrogen long term can be severe, and deadly.

What’s missing is that:

There is no mention of the benefits of subluxation correction.

Has any chiropractor ever seen the spine of a woman with osteoporosis that was not subluxated?

How many women under chiropractic care have improved the health of their spine, improved the integrity of their thoracic curve?

How many girls are under chiropractic care now, who are growing, and growing up without chronic subluxations, and enjoying the benefits of a healthy spine?

The website of the campaign (www.cdc.gov/powerfulbones) is designed for girls and has a variety of games and information as well as links. Everything is marketed to kids directly, and the links include other kid sites, i.e. FDA kids, where a variety of vaccines are introduced and promoted. The vaccine site simply promotes, there is no info on side effects, or informed consent, pretty one sided, they sounded like the best things ever created – even TV commericals as lopsided as they are, do list the side effects while people are running, jumping or dancing across the screen. I was just amazed at how many sites there are directly for kids, and I know kids can find them, my neices and nephews are the ones I run to when I need any high tech help (and they are all under 12).

There’s power in this message – and that is to go and tell the chiropractic story. Especially to kids, if they are expected to understand about vaccines, they can understand the power of a chiropractic adjustment. For any chiropractor who has been hesitant, or sluggish about including caring for all kids in their practice, let this be a wake up call, cause we all know, to be really powerful, girls gotta have a clear spine.

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