Dietary calcium and fracture risk

A study published in the September 17, 2003 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports that forearm fractures are on the rise among both adolescent boys and girls. While experts believe that most forearm fractures occurring in adolescence are related to the fact that bones become more porous during growth spurts, the 42 percent increase documented during this study raises concerns about whether bone-mass development in today's children may be impaired by lifestyle and dietary factors such as increased soft drink consumption, decreased milk consumption, or changing patterns of physical activity. The researchers theorize that increasing rates of forearm fractures in children could mean a dramatic increase in the risk for hip fractures and other more serious fractures when children become older adults. Adequate bone-mass development during childhood is critical to preventing osteoporosis and the related bone fractures that can occur later in life.