The reality may be closer to the bone than you think. Osteo' is derived from the Greek word for bones and 'porosis' is from the Greek word for passage or hole.
Osteoporosis does become more common as people get older.
Bone loss is a natural part of ageing, and all human beings would eventually develop the disease if they lived long enough. But young people of either sex shouldn't be complacent. You, too, will one day be long of tooth and thin of hair. And medical scientists say that what we do in our youth may have an important effect on our chances of avoiding the disease. A major study involving almost 2000 people near Dubbo in New South Wales has provided some insight into the extent of osteoporosis in Australia.