Diagnosis
Osteoporosis has long been a very serious problem within the medical diagnoses in the United States. Nowadays there are many high school, middle school, and children programs to fight osteoporosis at its beginning stage. Also, there are substantial adult programs. No wonder people who suffer from this disease need comfort and a thorough treatment, osteoporosis affects bones and makes them fragile and they become brittle. This usually happens when a person lacks calcium or vitamin D which frequently results from hormonal changes. Largely the patients diagnosed are elderly people. As such, it has been claimed that the amount of diagnosed patients will enlarge due to the aging of the population.
Assessment
Unfortunately, 44 million elderly people (50 years and more) living in the US in 2004 had osteoporosis or low bone mass. It has been counted that Americans spent about $16 billion dollars on treating fractures due to osteoporosis in 2002. Of course, these numbers are somewhat disastrous. However, it is supposed that if the citizens keep on saving on their own health and avoid expensive but correct medical treatment, the situation will get worse. This will result from poor bones check after the recovery or absence of cracks’ treatment at all. Provided that the situation is not getting any better, there will be 12 million people more suffering from osteoporosis by 2012. Moreover, there will be many more people having low bone mass (about 40 million) unless the population starts treating this problem in a more responsible manner. It is said that no one is too old or too young to take care about their own bones (Gaby, 1995).
Intervention/Evaluation
Significantly, the authorities of Florida take serious actions in order to make the citizens healthier and show them there are means government presents to lead a healthier life. There has been a partnership created with Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) and County Health Departments. Thus, programs for educating population are now being popularized. This means tremendous help for the citizens to find out more about their diagnosis or the ways to understand their relative has osteoporosis. The Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Program were launched to show people that healthy way of life means taking sports, proper eating habits, and absence of harmful habits. Some people simply need guidance on what to do after they have osteoporosis, while some of them need to be prevented from this sickness. That is why the programs created for the population are striving to have a healthier generation overall by proving the benefits of correct medical treatment and self-education by participating in Osteoporosis Awareness Month program, for example (Florida Charts, 2010).
Prevention
There are different programs for education purposes emerging. One of such programs is designed for the entire family ‘Families Building Strong Bones’. Largely, there should be adults participating in order to learn what exactly the risks are. The program unveils the risk factors adult may face and the prevention methods. Also, the adults find out more about diagnosis and its treatment. However, the primary goal is still left prevention through healthy living and eating.
There is a high school program called ‘Food for Thought’. This is a marvelous educative program for teenagers. They learn about osteoporosis on life-size skeletons. They see the outcomes of bad nutrition on the bones and muscles. The students also learn about bulimia, anorexia, different diets, and their outcomes.
References
Florida Charts. (2010). Florida Department of Health. Web.
Gaby, A. (1995). Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis : What You Can Do About Bone Loss–A Leading Expert’s Natural Approach to Increasing Bone Mass. New York: Three Rivers Press.