During this peak growth period in your life, your bones will increase significantly in length and density. After age 20 your bones won't grow in length. You can still add some bone density until age 35, but not nearly as much as you can add during your teen years. The bone material you build up now will make your bones stronger and it may help you prevent osteoporosis later in life. Osteoporosis affects more than one quarter of women over age 60.
White women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men or black women.
In osteoporosis, the bones look like a honey-comb. These porous, weak bones can't support he weight of the body and fractures may occur. Fractures of the hip and spine are very common in people with osteoporosis. Everybody loses bone when he or she gets older, but if a person doesn't have much to begin with, his or her chance of suffering from osteoporosis is greater. The more bone you lay down now, the more you will have to spare later.