Welcome!

One of the benefits of working on this fabulous magazine is that you become very aware of how important it is to look after your own health. I love reading our Livingillness and disease. That means every year I see my GP for a full check-up. I also have regular mammogram and skin cancer checks. But when, a few years ago, one of my girlfriends tripped on a staircase and discovered her bone density was that of a much older woman, I asked my GP to refer me for a bone density scan. I didn’t display any of the known risk factors and I lead a pretty healthy and active life, but I thought my friend did too. I was relieved to be told that my results were mostly average for my age. However, my score was below average in some areas. This was not great to hear, but definitely good to know. I hadn’t realised that our bone density starts declining naturally after menopause. It meant I could take action to preserve my bone health while I was still relatively young. So I started eating a small yoghurt every day, to up my calcium intake, and decided that my on-off affair with regular exercise had to be ‘on’ more than it was ‘off’! I’m writing about this because October 20 is World Osteoporosis Day. In our Living Well section (Page 64) you’ll find plenty of information about how to look after bones and a website with an online tool you can use to check if you’re at risk.