Page 14 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, September 5, 2025 Got Milk? You'd Better Hope So. By Dr. Matthew Drake D airy milk is making a comeback -- and not a moment too soon for America's bone health. For years, calcium intake has declined, even as bone-weakening lifestyle factors have surged. Americans are spending more time indoors, sitting at desks, getting less vitamin D, and doing fewer weight-bearing activities. All of this contributes to an overlooked but growing crisis: our bones are becoming weaker, at an earlier age, and in greater numbers than most people realize. As Chief of Endocrinology and Metabolic Bone Disease Services at the Hospital for Special Surgery, I see this firsthand. One of the biggest misconceptions patients have is that bone loss is unavoidable with aging -- something to worry about only later in life, if at all. But bone health is a lifelong investment, and Americans are dangerously underinvesting. We aren't getting nearly enough calcium, and the consequences of that deficiency are showing up sooner and more severely than expected. It's time for patients and providers to prioritize bone health -- through better education, daily habits, and preventive activity long before suffering a fracture. Think of your skeleton as a cement foundation. Most of the structure you'll rely on as an adult is built during adolescence when the body is rapidly laying down bone. Calcium is the primary mineral in that foundation -- essential for building and maintaining strong, healthy bones. That's why children and teenagers need substantial amounts to develop peak bone mass. But even after the growth phase ends, bones still need care. Adults must continue supporting their skeletal health with steady calcium intake, adequate vitamin D, and regular physical activity. Fall short, and your body will draw calcium from your skeleton. If you're not getting enough of the mineral, or don't have enough vitamin D to help absorb the amount you take in, your bones become the backup supply to maintain normal blood levels. That silent sacrifice can lead to osteoporosis, a progressive disease that leaves bones fragile and more prone to break from minor falls or everyday activities. Osteoporosis affects at least 10 million Americans, and almost 45 million others are at increased risk for fracture due to low bone density. Over half of U.S. adults aged 50 and older are vulnerable to potentially devastating fractures. The economic burden is just as sobering. Osteoporosis-related fractures cost the U.S. healthcare system tens of billions annually. We can't treat our way out of this. There's already a critical shortage of specialists who manage bone health and osteoporosis specifically. We need to prevent it, starting with patient education and a renewed focus on calcium -- and vitamin D. That begins at the table. Calcium from dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese is among the most easily absorbed. For those who are lactose intolerant or dairy-free, calcium-fortified beverages and supplements can help fill the gap -- but they need to be taken correctly. We also need to rethink physical activity. Our bones respond to gravity and ground impact -meaning walking, running, or strength training are far better for our skeletons than swimming or cycling. "Use it or lose it" isn't a cliché -- it's biology. The recent uptick in milk consumption is a welcome trend. But the bigger opportunity is cultural: to start thinking about bone health the way we think about heart or brain health -as something worth preserving every day. We only get one skeleton. Let's treat it like the vital organ system it is. Matthew T. Drake, MD, Ph.D, is the Chief of Endocrinology at Hospital for Special Surgery. This piece originally ran in RealClearScience. MBTA Announces Extended Service for Fall 2025, All Modes Free After 9 PM for Five Fridays and Saturdays Extended Subway Service on Fridays and Saturdays Extended Service Seven Days a Week for Five Frequent Bus Routes, on Fridays and Saturdays on Eight Additional Frequent Bus Routes Extended Ferry Service on Fridays and Saturdays for Some Routes Through September B OSTON – The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) today announced that, effective August 24 as part of Fall 2025 service changes, all subway lines and eight frequent bus routes will offer extended service on Fridays and Saturdays with five of the MBTA’s most frequent bus routes with the highest number of later riders offering extended service every day of the week. Trip end times for these lines and routes will be about one hour later compared to current service end times. Extended service will also be added on some ferry lines on Fridays and Saturdays through the end of September with additional trips added. To encourage riders to take advantage of the extended service, all subway lines, bus routes, ferries, Commuter Rail lines, and the RIDE trips will be free on Fridays and Saturdays beginning at 9 PM through the end of service on September 5 – 6, September 12 – 13, September 19 – 20, September 26 – 27, and October 3 – 4. Extending service later into the night is a frequent request and longstanding interest of the riding public. Later public transit options enhance quality of life, improve the economic vibrancy of the region, and better position the Greater Boston area to be competitive among other worldclass cities that offer late-night public transportation. With the goal of increasing mobility during the nighttime hours for workers and travelers, this targeted approach to extending service prioritizes current evening ridership, improves connectivity across the network, and is a strategic investment that is within the MBTA’s current operating budget. “Safe and reliable transportation is essential and the MBTA wants to do our part with ensuring that the public has access to mass transportation when they need it,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “We are not satisfied with simply restoring our system to what we once provided but pushing ourselves to continuously improve. Extended service is something that we have been working towards and I’m proud that the investments being made in the MBTA allows us to now provide later service on subway, bus, and ferries, giving the public the opportunity to choose transit. We could not have done this without the hard work of the MBTA workforce and the commitment to transportation by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Legislature.” Weekend Extended Service • Subway: Service for the Red, Orange, Blue, and Green lines will be extended by about one hour on Friday and Saturday nights. Frequency during the one-hour of extended service will be about every 30 minutes on the Ashmont and Braintree branches of the Red Line and each of the Green Line branches, and about every 15 minutes between Alewife and JFK/UMass on the Red Line, on the entire Orange Line, and on the entire Blue Line. • Bus: Service on Bus Routes 1, 22, 39, 66, 110, SL1, SL3, and SL5 will extend by about one hour on Friday and Saturday nights. Frequency during the one-hour of extended service will be approximately every 30 minutes. • Ferries: Service for some ferry lines will extend by one to two hours with additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays beginning Friday, August 29, through Saturday, September 27: • On Fridays: Hingham/Hull Ferry: An additional Hingham/ Hull Ferry roundtrip will be added to the schedule departing about one hour later than current schedules. This trip departs Hingham to Long Wharf at 10:15 PM; the trip departs Long Wharf to Hull and Hingham at 11 PM. • The current last departure from Hingham is at 9:15 PM with the last departure from Long Wharf at 9:55 PM. • On Fridays and Saturdays: East Boston Ferry: Additional East Boston Ferry trips will be added to the schedule with service extended to 10 PM. The last trip from East Boston to Long Wharf will depart at 9:30 PM; the last trip from Long Wharf to East Boston will depart at 9:45 PM. • The current last departure from East Boston on Fridays is at 7:30 PM and on Saturdays is MBTA | SEE PAGE 17
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