Healthy Bones and Your Teen
Healthy Bones and Your Teen
Healthy Bones and Your Teen
During teenage years your skeleton is actively growing and getting bigger and stronger. At the end of your teenage years, bone growth is complete and bones have achieved "peak bone mass."
Up to 90 percent of peak bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and age 20 in boys, so youth is the best time to invest in bone health. Peak bone mass generally means your bones are at their strongest. During the teen years, almost half of the adult skeleton is formed, yet less than half of all teens get enough calcium every day. Only 15 percent of teenage girls get enough calcium. As a result, females are four times more likely than males to develop osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis has been called a "pediatric disease with geriatric consequences" because the bone mass attained in childhood and adolescence determines lifelong skeletal health. Habits kids form now can make or "break" their bones as they age. The higher the peak bone mass, the greater protection your skeleton has against the effects of aging. Pediatric checkups can help uncover any potential precursors along the way.
Risk Factors
Some risk factors in the teenage years which may result in osteoporosis in later years include:
Not getting enough calcium.
Drinking carbonated beverages. Teens who drink soda drink less milk. Additionally, drinking soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi have been thought to lower calcium levels because of the high phosphate levels in those drinks.
Not enough physical activity.
Smoking cigarettes.
Heredity.
Race - Caucasians and Asians are at higher risk for osteoporosis.
Being below normal weight or, if female, having irregular periods. Sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone are essential for development of bone mass. Girls who start to menstruate at an early age typically have greater bone density.
Those who frequently miss their periods sometimes have lower bone density.
Heavy intake of alcohol.
Bone Production
Bone is living tissue made up of special cells and, like the rest of the body, they are constantly being broken down and renewed. Bone growth is nearly complete by the end of puberty, with only a small increase in bone strength occurring after the late teenage years. Adults over 35 begin to experience bone loss. That's why it's important for your teen to ensure that they are doing everything they can to grow strong, healthy bones now, before it's too late.
Prevention Tips for Teens
Eat calcium-rich food like milk, yogurt and cheese. Other foods not typically associated with being calcium rich include fortified orange juice and breads; green leafy vegetables such as collards and spinach; canned salmon and sardines or soybeans and tofu. Children and teenagers between 9 and 18 should aim for 1300 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day. It is also important to get enough vitamin D, either from sunlight or in the diet, to help the bones absorb the calcium.
For those who don't or can't eat dairy products, calcium supplements may be necessary. Calcium should come from food sources whenever possible. Non-dairy sources include: soybeans, tofu, canned sardines, salmon and legumes.
Be physically active every day. Walk, run, participate in an aerobics class, tennis, gymnastics, weight lifting, basketball, soccer, volleyball, jump rope or dance. All of these activities put weight on bones and help prevent osteoporosis.
Limit soft drink consumption to one or less a day. None is preferable.
Do not smoke. As well as being bad for the heart and lungs, it also is harmful to bone tissue and leads to increase fracture risk.
Avoid alcohol. Alcohol reduces the ability of the body's cells to make bone. Heavy drinking, particularly in adolescents, can compromise bone quality and increase osteoporosis risk later.
Avoid drinks with caffeine. Coffee and many sodas (colas) have caffeine. Excessive caffeine contributes to bone breakdown and may cause osteoporosis.
Special Considerations
Osteoporosis is a condition most often associated with age; however, some young women may develop osteoporosis earlier in life due to various illnesses or hormonal deficiencies.
Eating Disorders
Women who develop eating disorders in early adolescence, when the skeleton is in the process of growing, severely reduce their attainable peak bone mass. This can lead to the development of osteoporosis at a young age, especially if the eating disorder persists for years. It is not uncommon for women who have had an eating disorder in their teenage years to develop osteoporosis by their early twenties.
Athletes
Adolescent females and young women who are involved in elite training who have amenorrhoea (menstruation stops) and disordered eating habits are at high risk of developing osteoporosis.
Late First Menstrual Period
It is worthwhile for any teenage girl who has not had her period by the age of 16 years to see her local pediatrician for an assessment. Most often these delays are nothing to worry about; however, the delay may be indicative of a hormonal problem which can also affect peak bone mass.
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