Dr. Larry Siegel urges members of the Columbia Torch Club to avoid stepping on banana peels. If you plan to live a long life, you should expect to develop Osteoporosis. This isn't a disease you catch, but what happens to your bones based on your ancestry, gender, lifestyle, and age. The older you get, the more fragile your bones will become, and the more fractures you will likely have…especially if you are a lazy, skinny, alcoholic, white male smoker. However, fat men who marry short women, have an active sex life, and avoid tall ladders and slippery floors will likely not suffer as much from this dreaded condition of fragile bones.

This is a simplification of the message given by Dr. Larry Siegel at the Columbia Torch Club December 3. Siegel earned his medical degree at Albany (NY) Medical College and did his residency at the Harrisburg (PA) Poly Clinic Hospital. He had a pediatric practice for 12 years and, as professor of clinical pediatrics, has taught physical medicine residents for 12 years at the USC School of Medicine.

Dr. Siegel covered the status and treatment of osteoporosis as it exists in the USA today. Ten million people over 50 are affected: more women than men, more whites than non- whites, more thin people than fat people, and more tall people than short people. The condition develops as one's bone mass stops growing and the size and strength of bones decrease. Lifestyle habits such as extreme physical activity, couch potatoing, excessive drinking, and smoking bring on the condition earlier.

Jokingly, Dr. Siegel stated that as a man ages and his bones shrink, he will get shorter. If this man gets shorter than his wife, he will develop an inferiority complex which will further affect his psychological health. So men should make it a point to marry short women.

Medication is available, but the side effects almost neutralize the benefits. The best treatment for osteoporosis consists of following good nutritional habits as early in life as possible. Moderate exercise, a healthy balanced diet, appropriate daily amounts of calcium and vitamin D, and increased fluid intake will slow down the development of fragile bones.

Dr. Siegel's final advice was, "Practice fall prevention! Keep rooms free of clutter, place rubber mats in the shower, use cordless phones, and avoid banana peels."

The Columbia Torch Club meets monthly for tasty food and interesting lectures. Visitors are welcome. For information, call Ed Latimer at 803- 776-4765.