Strategic Nutrition for Bone and Joint Health - Fortitech

PAGE 2Global PerspectiveAging and obesity are important factors contributing to bone and joint disorders. Given therising numbers of older and obese people in both economically developed and less developedcountries, bone and joint health is a global concern. The burden of bone and jointdisease is so weighty, that governments, NGO’s, patient advocacy groups and health organizationsaround the world started a collaborative initiative dedicating 2000-2012 as theBone and Joint Decade (BJD).According to the BJD, 50% of chronic disease in the elderly isrepresented by joint diseases and 40% of women over theage of 50 are expected to suffer a minimum of one osteoporoticfracture within their lifetime. According to the WorldHealth Organization (WHO), osteoporosis ranks second tocardiovascular disease in terms of its global healthcare burden.Nutritional needschange as we age.“Ask the Experts” formore info on this byvisiting fortitech.comWorldwide, the US has the most developed bone and jointhealth market, which is expected to approach $4 billion by2013. The functional ingredients market that supports boneand joint health is also a billion dollar industry in China andJapan. In Japan, 10 million patients have osteoarthritis, withover 30% of Japanese aged 70 plus, suffering from osteoarthritis, which continues to advancewith age. Aging populations worldwide and the long-term consequences of obesitymean an increasing incidence of bone and joint conditions for many years to come.Target MarketsHistorically, women and adults age 60 plus have been the focus of bone and joint products.The market is growing, as a rising number of men and younger adults are being diagnosedwith osteoporosis or are at high risk due to low bone mass – according to the National Instituteof Aging, two million men in the United States have osteoporosis. A body of informationexists supporting that most people around the world do not get enough calcium orvitamin D, and recent research indicates that there is a high percentage of vitamin D deficiencyin children under 11, particularly noting deficiency in African American and Hispanicchildren in the United States. The wide spectrum of deficient populations, in turn, increasesthe necessity for product innovation and demographic appropriate product development.In some people, evidence of osteoarthritic changes may exist by the second or third decadeof life (usually without associated symptoms). By age 40, almost everyone has some osteoarthriticchanges in weight-bearing joints (e.g., hip and knee joints) and, by age 75, virtuallyeveryone has changes in at least one joint. Since osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerativedisease, this information suggests that even young adults need to consider protectingtheir joints against chronic wear-and-tear by optimizing their nutrient intakes.Consumer PreferencesIn the US, consumers are increasingly seeking supplements and functional foods and beveragesthat promote wellness and have scientific validation. Consumer preference is nowturning to foods — up 29%— and beverages — up 11% — fortified with joint-health ingredients,according to Nielsen data. According to market analysis by Frost and Sullivan, the“prominent competitive factors in the US bone and joint health ingredients market includeSTRATEGIC NUTRITION FOR BONE & JOINT HEALTHTECHNICAL PAPER—JAN, 2010PAGE 3