Fragile Bone Epidemic for Young Women
While obesity and diabetes are well-publicized health concerns facing American youth, we don’t hear much about early onset osteoporosis. While osteoporosis usually refers to post-menopausal loss of bone density – not young women at the height of their physical health – new studies show that some women of 25 already have the bone-loss of a 75 year-old.
According to the research: “In mature women, osteoporosis is the result of the decreasing estrogen levels as the child-bearing years come to an end. At puberty, it’s the increasing estrogen that triggers the body to lay down bone and finish building the skeleton. Women achieve their maximum bone density at about age 20, but the process can only be fully completed if their teenage years are spent actively engaging their muscles, bones, and joints in physical activity.”
Puberty is a crucial time for a young woman’s bone health; bone-growth stops permanently in the early twenties and bone density loss gradually begins. So girls who lead active lives and participate in sports like dance, riding, or running during their formative teen years are building consistent bone mass. But girls who lead sedentary lifestyles and fail to regularly exercise run the risk of never building a strong, supportive bone structure.
To avoid the health hazards of early onset bone loss, it’s important that parents encourage children to get and stay active in a variety of ways- walking the dog, biking with friends. It’s also crucial that parents educate kids about the benefits of physical fitness and set a good example through their own exercise habits.
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