Bone health is our birthright. Yet, today in the United States, 10 million individuals already have osteoporosis and 18 million more have low bone density, placing them at risk for the disease. In this country, 1.5 million osteoporotic fractures occur each year, 20% being potentially devastating hip fractures. Half of all American Caucasian women aged 50 and older in the United States and one out of eight men over 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture, the direct costs of which now reach $10 to $15 billion dollars a year.

How do we go about reclaiming lifelong bone health? At The Osteoporosis Education Project, a nonprofit corporation based in Syracuse, N.Y., that aims to rethink osteoporosis from an anthropological perspective, we implement a comprehensive "Better Bones, Better Body® Program" at each stage of life. Although many people may think of osteoporosis as an old woman's disease, bone health is important to both sexes and all age groups.

Here are just a few ways you can build better bones at any age:

Mothers with better vitamin D and calcium status give birth to infants with stronger bones.

Children who are physically active and exposed to sunlight have stronger bones and build higher peak bone mass.

Nearly a quarter of all bone is formed during the years of the adolescent growth spurt.

Half of the bone mass you will build during you life is laid down from adolescence thru teen years. This is the time for exercise and good nutrition.

Even in your late 20’s you can add to your peak bone mass through exercise and nutrition supplementation.

In the third decade many women and some men begin to loss bone mass. Receding gums are a sign of bone loss and are often seen in the mid 30’s.

Estrogen and progesterone deficiency during the fertile years will lead to bone loss; thus missing periods are associated with bone loss.

Peri-menopause often begins in the mid 40’s. This time period is often associated with increased bone mineral loss as the body adjusts to lower hormone levels.

The 3 to 5 years after menopause are also a time of hormonal adaptation and are often associated with increased bone loss. This is a normal adaptation and does not necessarily imply the development of severe bone weakening. The more bone density you have built up in your teens, 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s, the less likely this normal bone loss will lead to osteoporosis.

Studies have shown that one can halt or significantly reduce the bone loss around menopause with vigorous exercise programs and nutritional supplementation.

By the late 50’s and into the 60’s bone loss generally stabilizes. Most women at this time only lose a small amount each year.

Osteoporotic fractures tend to occur as we age into the 70’s and 80’s. Spinal fractures occur earlier while the average age of hip fractures is in the 80’s.

During older decades nutrient deficiency is very common. For example, while young people often consume too much protein, the elderly generally consume too little.

Bone-weakening vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among the housebound but also among active seniors.

There is a common tendency to lose both muscle mass as well as bone mass as we age.

The first, and for many the most important, bone health test for seniors is a test for Vitamin D adequacy.

If you are on osteoporosis medications, their effectiveness can be increased if used along with a strong bone building nutrition program.