Bones are the building blocks of our body and we cannot stay strong in the absence of healthy bones. Bones work behind the scenes and most of the bone-building process is completed around age 20. Though, as adults we still continue to replace old bone with new, albeit at a slower rate.

Having a strong foundation of bone health in childhood is integral for bone health throughout life as a broken bone takes sufficient time to heal, even for kids. Bone weakness can be avoided later in life provided we work on it from childhood. While calcium, vitamin D and exercise are necessary for optimum bone health at all ages, they are all the more important for kids in their growing years.

While healthcare professionals often prescribe calcium and vitamin D supplements to kids and adults as a part of medical treatment, these can also be obtained from consuming the right foods like dairy products, fortified foods, salmon or sardines etc. in addition, regular exercise including muscle-strengthening and weight-bearing are good to prevent bone loss.

Dr. Tushar Deore
Consultant – Spine Specialist
Jupiter Hospital, Pune