Adequate calcium, vitamin D, appropriate exercise and, in some cases, medication are important for maintaining bone health. Women are not alone in their risk for osteoporosis. Menopause happens to all women, but affects each woman uniquely. It is a natural process that results when the number of follicles in the ovaries decline and stop producing estrogen, ending the monthly release of an egg. Because estrogen helps to keep calcium in the bones, postmenopausal women are at increased risk for bone loss and osteoporosis.
Bone building occurs over a lifetime.
Teenagers, especially girls, need to be certain they are getting enough calcium in their diets. A deficiency in adolescence could lay the groundwork for osteoporosis later in life.