Much of the bone we rely on later is built in childhood, so everyday family habits today are a real gift to the future. Bones support and protect us, help us move, anchor our muscles and store minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Learn more about their main functions.
Like every other tissue in your body, bones thrive on good nutrition and activity. Understanding osteoporosis helps explain why the habits we build early matter so much.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a medical condition that affects the bones. It is coined from two Latin words "osteo" for bones and "porosis" meaning porous. When you place these words side by side, they mean "porous bones".
Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. A healthy bone has small pieces within it, like a mesh or honeycomb. In osteoporosis, these spaces increase in size resulting in the bone becoming weaker and more brittle. When this happens to your bones, you are at a high risk of falls and fractures.
Body cells are in a constant "breaking down and replacement" process. The same applies to bone cells, although your bones reach their peak in density and strength in your late twenties. Osteoporosis occurs when the rate at which bone cells are broken down is higher than how they are replaced.
It can occur at any age, but it is frequently seen in older adults. Also, an individual is more likely to develop osteoporosis if it runs in their family, usually parents. It is more common in women, affecting 25% of women, 65 and older but only 5% of men in the same age range. In other words, women are five times more likely to get it than men. Usually, women after the age of 50 are more vulnerable to developing the disease.
In America, about 54 million people live with osteoporosis and low bone mass which increases their chances of developing osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis vs. Osteopenia
Some people feel these two are the same but they are not. Osteopenia unlike osteoporosis isn't a disease. Rather, it is a state of having a lower bone density than normal. However, the bones are not as weak as how they are in osteoporosis.
Osteopenia is a risk factor for osteoporosis, which is a good reason to focus on bone-friendly habits early.
How does Bone Health Affect Osteoporosis?
Experts describe osteoporosis as a childhood disease with old-age consequences. That is because the peak bone mass built in youth is one important factor in bone health later in life (Weaver 2016), alongside genetics, hormones and lifestyle in adulthood.
That makes childhood a wonderful time to start bone-friendly habits. Find here 6 tips on how to keep your bones healthy.
Osteoporosis has several risk factors. Some can't be changed, and many can be shaped by everyday habits.
Factors you cannot change include age, sex, family history and ethnic background.
However, as a parent, you can influence the following factors:
- Diet
- Exercise
- Alcohol Consumption
- Smoking Tobacco
How do these Factors Relate to Osteoporosis?
The good news is that healthy habits started in childhood can help lower the risk of osteoporosis later on. Here is how these everyday factors affect your children's bones.
1. Diet
Providing your kids with a balanced diet is beneficial to their bones, especially foods rich in calcium and vitamin D. Your kid's body uses these nutrients to build strong and healthy bones.
In case you're lost on how you can achieve that, add these foods to their diet. Foods rich in calcium and vitamin D include dairy products, fish, fruits and vegetables, and fortified foods. Proteins are also needed for building and repairing bones. Try out one of our favorite 9 tasty bone health recipes.
Some foods and drinks can reduce how much calcium the body absorbs, including salty foods, foods high in oxalates such as spinach, and coffee, tea and sodas. This doesn't make them bad choices, as many have other benefits. It simply means a varied diet with plenty of calcium and vitamin D sources helps cover your child's needs. If you have questions about your child's calcium or vitamin D intake, your pediatrician can help.
Foods rich in refined sugars and fats should be reduced to the barest minimum. Too much of them have adverse effects on the bones and increase the risks of fractures.
2. Exercise
Exercise is another essential factor that influences bone health. It makes bones stronger, promotes balance and good posture, and slow the rate of bone loss.
The types of exercises that work best with building bones are called weight-bearing exercises. They include walking, running, climbing, and jumping. More fun ways for kids to engage in sports are often tennis, basketball, hockey, volleyball, gymnastics, etc. Or you can try our fun Top 8 Bone Strengthening Exercises with your kids to increase your bone strength.
Kids (ages 6 to 17) are to have 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity daily. These exercises, according to the CDC, are to include aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening activities.
Children and adolescents who stay active build stronger bones, which helps protect against falls and fractures later in life.
3. Alcohol Consumption
You may take small quantities of alcohol as a parent. However, you should never give any alcohol to your children. First and foremost, it can affect your kids' health and bones. Secondly, it encourages them to drink as they grow into teenagers.
Teenagers may feel pressure to drink, as often shown in TV shows and movies. Heavy alcohol intake is linked to lower bone mineral density and can get in the way of reaching peak bone mass, both risk factors for osteoporosis.
Alcohol also reduces the amounts of calcium and vitamin D needed for bone growth and causes bone loss.
4. Smoking Tobacco
Smoking is encouraged in pop culture that kids watch on TV. Also, peer pressure is something many older children deal with. Encourage your children to stay away from smoking.
Not only does it affect bones, it's also linked to cancers, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. In bones, smoking affects how bone cells are replaced and is linked to lower bone mass, a risk factor for osteoporosis.
Conclusion
There you have it. As a parent, you have a wonderful opportunity to help your children build strong bones that will support them for life. Good nutrition, regular activity and staying away from alcohol and tobacco can help lower the risk of osteoporosis as they grow older.
References
Al-Bashaireh, A.M. (2018). The Effect of Tobacco Smoking on Bone Mass: An Overview of Pathophysiologic Mechanisms. Journal of Osteoporosis, 2018(17). Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1206235
Chatterjee, B. & Patel, T. (2016). Carbonated Drinks Displaces Milk and Fruit Beverages. International Journal of Innovation Research, 4(4), 40-43. Retrieved from: https://www.academia.edu/
Das, J.K., Lassi, Z.S., Hoodbhoy, Z., Salam, R.A. (2018). Nutrition for the Next Generation: Older Children and Adolescents. Annuals of Nutrition and Metabolism 72(3), 56-64. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1159/000487385
LaBrie, J.W., Boyle, S., Earle, A., Almstedt, H.C. (2018). Heavy Episodic Drinking is Associated with Poorer Bone Health in Adolescent and Young Adult Women. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 79(3), 391-398. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2018.79.391
Tan, V.P.S. et al. (2014). Influence of Physical Activity on Bone Strength in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 29(10), 2161-2181. https://asbmr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
Unah, J. (2018). Effects of Alcohol Use Upon Bone Health. Nursing Capstones, 154. Retrieved from: https://commons.und.edu/nurs-capstones/154
Sources
- Weaver CM, et al. The National Osteoporosis Foundation's position statement on peak bone mass development and lifestyle factors. Osteoporos Int. 2016;27(4):1281-1386. doi:10.1007/s00198-015-3440-3. doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3440-3
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Osteoporosis. www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteoporosis