Osteoporosis Facts
Bone Bandits
What are bone bandits? Bone bandits are activities and habits that put your daughter at risk for osteoporosis later in life.
Soda — As girls get older, this popular drink often replaces milk (and the important calcium and vitamin D that comes with it!). Research shows as many as 75% of teens visit the vending machine at school every day!
What you can do: Make soda an occasional treat and encourage her to choose low-fat or fat-free milk, calcium-fortified juice, or water instead.
Screen time — This means TV, computer, video games, you name it! The more time she spends in front of a screen every day, the less physical activity she is getting.
What you can do: Limit her screen time to less than 2 hours a day. Be a good role model by turning off the tube and getting active yourself!
Alcoholic drinks — Underage drinking is dangerous and can damage your child's bones as well as her overall health. Alcohol reduces the body's ability to make bone.
What you can do: Talk to her about what drinking alcohol does to her health and her bones.
Smoking — The nicotine and toxins in cigarettes damage overall health and destroy the bone-building cells in the body. Some girls start smoking as a way to lose or control their weight.
What you can do: Talk to your daughter about the harmful effects of smoking, and encourage her to get moving as a healthy way to control her weight.
Help her have a healthy smile — If your daughter prefers soda to milk, she may also be hurting her teeth. The sugar in sodas-and fruit juices-can weaken tooth enamel, which is made up mostly of calcium.
Content last updated April 2010
