Health Tip: Build Healthy Bones

Start early, benefit later

Posted 11/27/07

(HealthDay News) - Osteoporosis doesn't have to be an inevitable part of aging -- if you begin practicing healthy habits when you're young.

Here are some facts about osteoporosis, and suggestions to help prevent brittle bones, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

Women who are or have been pregnant, who are breast-feeding, or who have had a hysterectomy are more likely to lose bone mass, putting them at higher risk of osteoporosis.
Women who are menopausal or postmenopausal produce less estrogen than before, which weakens bones.
Ideally, weight-bearing exercises should begin during the teen years, when the bones grow rapidly.
It's never too late to start protecting your bones, which may continue to grow throughout your 20s, and even into your early 30s.
Avoid smoking and excess alcohol, which weaken bones.