Brothers Make Film About Vitamin D Deficiency
Documentary Brings Awareness To Growing Problem
POSTED: 3:30 pm EST November 19,
2008
UPDATED: 6:01 pm EST November 19,
2008
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BOSTON -- Two local brothers are on a mission to teach children about weak bones. There is new research suggesting 42 percent of teens in the Boston area are vitamin D deficient.
Brothers Make Film About Vitamin D DeficiencyAs NewsCenter 5's Liz Brunner reported in Wednesday's health alert, it's a problem that puts their health at risk.The fifth-grade class at the Edward Devotion School in Brookline, Mass., was getting a lesson in Vitamin D on Wednesday afternoon."Hopefully after the film, you'll have a better understanding of what vitamin D is," 23-year-old Mike Stone, of Weston, Mass., told the students.Stone and his younger brother, Doug, made a documentary to share their story about growing up with Vitamin D deficiencies. At 14, Mike bones were only 50 percent the density of a normal child. They could break at anytime."When I got the X ray at the doctor, they could actually see through my bones," he said.Dr. Catherine Gordon, the director of bone health at Children's Hospital Boston, treated both the brothers. Gordon inspired them to make the documentary to educate the public about the seriousness of vitamin D deficiencies."In a study of 307 adolescents, we found 42 percent were vitamin D deficient," she said.Gordon wants to spread the message that a vitamin D deficiency puts children at risk for health problems later in life, other than osteoporosis."They may be at risk for certain auto immune diseases, like type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. There's also great interest in a link between vitamin D and cancer," she said.Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin and is produced by your skin in sunlight. It controls the amount of calcium absorbed from your diet and builds stronger teeth and bones."During winter months, it's critical to get vitamin D from dietary supplements. The earth is tilted too far from the sun for us to make any vitamin D in our skin," Gordon said.It's recommended that infants, young children and teenagers get 400 IUS of vitamin D per day, the equivalent to four cups of milk. But Gordon says the best option is to take a vitamin D supplements or a multivitamin.After years of treatments, X rays show the Stones' bone strength has improved.
Brothers Make Film About Vitamin D DeficiencyAs NewsCenter 5's Liz Brunner reported in Wednesday's health alert, it's a problem that puts their health at risk.The fifth-grade class at the Edward Devotion School in Brookline, Mass., was getting a lesson in Vitamin D on Wednesday afternoon."Hopefully after the film, you'll have a better understanding of what vitamin D is," 23-year-old Mike Stone, of Weston, Mass., told the students.Stone and his younger brother, Doug, made a documentary to share their story about growing up with Vitamin D deficiencies. At 14, Mike bones were only 50 percent the density of a normal child. They could break at anytime."When I got the X ray at the doctor, they could actually see through my bones," he said.Dr. Catherine Gordon, the director of bone health at Children's Hospital Boston, treated both the brothers. Gordon inspired them to make the documentary to educate the public about the seriousness of vitamin D deficiencies."In a study of 307 adolescents, we found 42 percent were vitamin D deficient," she said.Gordon wants to spread the message that a vitamin D deficiency puts children at risk for health problems later in life, other than osteoporosis."They may be at risk for certain auto immune diseases, like type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. There's also great interest in a link between vitamin D and cancer," she said.Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin and is produced by your skin in sunlight. It controls the amount of calcium absorbed from your diet and builds stronger teeth and bones."During winter months, it's critical to get vitamin D from dietary supplements. The earth is tilted too far from the sun for us to make any vitamin D in our skin," Gordon said.It's recommended that infants, young children and teenagers get 400 IUS of vitamin D per day, the equivalent to four cups of milk. But Gordon says the best option is to take a vitamin D supplements or a multivitamin.After years of treatments, X rays show the Stones' bone strength has improved. Copyright 2008 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
