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Britons should spend up to 20 minutes in the sun every day to protect their bones, according to MPs. There are fears that rising numbers of elderly people are suffering fractures because their bones have become weak due to a lack of vitamin D. Now a report by a group of MPs is recommending that everyone spends ten minutes in the sun without protection once or twice a day during late spring and summer. The advice goes against major public health campaigns that have urged people to stay out of the sun during the middle of day in summer and apply sun cream. But the All-Party Parliamentary Osteoporosis Group warns that if people are completely avoiding the sunlight when it is strongest they risk not getting enough vitamin D. Elderly people in care homes or hospital are at particular risk of vitamin D deficiency as they are often immobile and cannot get outside, according to the report. For this reason, it is crucial doctors and carers ensure they have a nutritious diet and are given vitamin D supplements to protect their bones, it adds. Britain has one of the highest rates of hip fractures in the EU – up to 75,000 each year. This figure has risen by almost a fifth in the past decade and the vast majority occur among the elderly. As the injury is so debilitating, many will never recover and a third die within a year. The report warns that fractures caused by weakened bones and osteoporosis are now a 'major public health concern'. But it points out there are simple steps people can take throughout their lives to keep bones strong. Everyone should spend ten minutes once or twice a day in the sun from May to September without sun cream, making sure their arms and face are fully exposed, the report says. They should also do 20 minutes of 'weight-bearing exercise' three or four times a week. It urges people to eat a healthy, balanced diet, rich in calcium and vitamin D, avoid smoking and only drink alcohol in moderation. 2011-09-09
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