The main risk is fracture of bones, which is co-related to the amount of overall loss of bone density. Loss of density can be slight through to half the pre-existing density, depending on the severity of the imbalance over time. Hip and spine are the two areas most commonly affected by osteoporosis. A bone density scan is able to establish whether or not osteoporosis is present. But calcium absorbtion is in most western diets, more important.
People vary in their ablity to absorb the calcium that is in their diet.
While it was once thought that the high protein and phosphorus content of the typical Western diet inhibited full calcium absorption, it has been shown by a recent study that this is not so. In fact, the same study concluded that regardless of whether the estrogen status is high or low, neither high or low phosphorous or high or low protein intake had any influence on the absorbtion of calcium. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . Prospective study of dietary protein intake and risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women'.