In the UK, one in three women and one in twelve men over 50 will develop osteoporosis. However, this statistic could be improved by adequate intake of calcium during the critical teen years.

What is taken in during adolescence makes a big difference in the health of bones during the golden years. Almost 50 per cent of bone mass is acquired during the teenage years. By age 20, the amount of bone is at its greatest (called the peak bone mass), and then it slowly but steadily decreases. So, if not enough calcium is taken in during this critical period, less is available in the bones for the rest of life.

Daily dose
Nine out of ten teenage girls do not take in enough daily calcium. The recommended amount cannot be agreed upon: the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) is 800 milligrams of calcium per day for girls aged seven to 11 (1,000 for boys of the same age), but the National Osteoporosis Society recommends 1,000 milligrams generally (1/3 pint milk contains 230mg calcium.)

But how does one get a teenage girl to care about a problem that won't haunt her for another 40 years? Many young women worry that milk and other dairy products will make them put on weight. Others simply have not had milk as a major part of their diets even before the teenage years, so they do not naturally drink this as a part of their meals when they are away from their parents. In addition, milk is not readily available as a part of the fast-food culture, so even those with good intentions are unable to drink milk due to lack of convenience.

Milking the options
Fortunately, there are a few things that can be done to help our teens realise the importance of building strong bones. As with all medicine, prevention is the best policy. So, parents should encourage good milk drinking habits before the teen years. As it is with the rest of the adolescent diet, habits (both good and bad) developed in early childhood are hard to break. A child who regularly drinks her milk is more likely to turn into a teen who also drinks it.

There is milk for everyone. For those who don't like the taste, there is chocolate and strawberry flavoured milk. For those worried about the fat, there is skimmed milk. And for those who don't like the 'watery' taste of skimmed milk, there is semi-skimmed milk, which is processed to give it a richer texture.

Teens are rather sophisticated about health issues. Explaining why calcium intake at this critical period of life is so important will not necessarily fall on deaf ears.