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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, February 9, 2003

'OHANA BRIEFS
Fighting osteoporosis

Hopping and jumping are two of the best ways to help your kids stave off osteoporosis, says Mary Sanders, adjunct professor of health ecology at the University of Nevada-Reno.

Kids and osteoporosis? Isn't that worrying about things a little too early?

"What researchers have found is that the ages between 9 and 12 are just critical" when it comes to building bone, Sanders says.

"Kids need to build their bone bank now. As they age, lower activity levels, changes in hormones — all those things create changes in the bone and they will be withdrawing from their bone bank. This is a big investment ... for them."

Fortunately, that big investment doesn't take a lot. Just 10 minutes of exercise a day, three times a week, is enough investment capital to build a bone bank with a high enough return for the future.

The amount of bone that a person has later in life depends on how much bone that person accumulates during youth and how well that bone is maintained, Sanders says.

Experts estimate 90 percent of bone growth occurs between the ages of 10 and 20. For exercise to be effective in building bones, the activity has to "load" the bones enough to stimulate bone growth. Walking, for example, with intermittent jumps. Start with 10 jumps, slowly progressing to a maximum of 20 once they get used to the exercises, Sanders says.


Co-ed sleepovers catch on

The next time your teen is invited to a sleepover, don't be shocked that it's not "just the girls" who'll be spending the night.

Mixed-gender sleepovers are becoming increasingly common as more teens are pushing to invite friends of the opposite sex — and more parents are granting their requests, reports the Ladies' Home Journal.

Teens say the evenings are just another way to hang out, but many parents and experts worry that all-night events can encourage physical intimacy. If co-ed sleepovers make you uneasy, the magazine suggests coming up with a compromise, such as picking your teen up at midnight.


Soap-box baby sought

The famous soap maker is holding a nationwide contest to find the next Ivory Baby. One winner will appear in an Ivory soap advertisement and receive a $50,000 college scholarship.

To enter, mail a recent photo picturing your baby with a bar of Ivory soap. The photo should be no smaller than 4 by 6 inches, no larger than 8 by 10. Include a 25-word essay on why your baby should be the next Ivory Baby.

Also print or type your name and complete address (no P.O. boxes), telephone number and the name and age of your baby. Mail the entry to: Ivory Baby Photo Contest, P.O. Box 4582, Blair, NE 68009-4582. Deadline is May 12.