How can I know if my teen-age daughter is eating properly to prevent osteoporosis later in life?

Osteoporosis prevention does start early in life; it is good to be aware of it while your daughter is still building bone mass. However, it is important to remember that diet is only one part of osteoporosis prevention.

In terms of diet, your daughter should be consuming enough calcium for her age group. Children from 1 to 3 years old should have 500 mg of calcium per day (about equal to 2 glasses of milk); children between 4 and 8 years should get about 800 mg per day; and teens should get about 1300 mg per day.

Along with eating a diet with enough calcium, it's very important that children and teens get enough weight-bearing exercise to help the bones build bone mass. If your daughter is in her late teens and has not yet begun menstruating, mention this to her doctor because estrogen plays a strong role in bone mass, as well. If a woman doesn't menstruate or has very rare periods, this could cause problems with the bone density.