Because there isn't a cure for osteoporosis, prevention is critical. Fortunately, prevention is easy for most people in that it simply requires discipline. And the younger you start, the better!

A healthy, balanced diet with plenty of calcium and vitamin D is a good start. Nutrition surveys suggest that many women and girls get less than 50% of the calcium needed to develop and maintain peak bone mass; depending on your age, most people need between 1000mg to 1300mg of calcium every day. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, so even if you're taking calcium supplements you will want to make sure that your diet includes enough vitamin D; the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D is between 400 to 800 IU per day.

Consistent weight-bearing exercise is another preventative measure. Walking, jogging, tennis, basketball, soccer, climbing stairs, and even bowling are great ways to keep your bones healthy (sorry, fishing doesn't really count!). You can get into the habit of walking by parking your car further from the entrance of your grocery store, or even enlisting a few friends to go on routine jaunts through the neighborhood or local mall. Team sports are common among children and adolescents, but many adults find it difficult to get information on leagues in their area. If you've looked online, checked the newspaper and other local news venues and still cannot find a sports team in your area, why not start your own team? Involving others is a great way to keep your motivation up, and you will be keeping others around you healthy as well!

Smoking tobacco products and immoderate consumption of alcohol will adversely affect your bone mass, so if you're currently a pack-a-day smoker or drink to excess you may want to reevaluate your lifestyle-if only to protect your bones. If you make a list of the pros and cons of smoking and drinking, you'll find plenty of incentive to stop. And with current medical advances designed to assist people who are trying to break the habit (patches, gum, and so forth), you may find that "going clean" is easier than you think.

Finally, if you think that you're at risk for osteoporosis, you may want to get an early diagnosis and consult with a health care professional. Early diagnosis can assist in taking preventative measures earlier, looking for signs of osteoporosis, and aid in treatment. Assessment of bone density with densitometry will give you an idea of whether your bones are healthy and, if they're not, how much at risk you are for fractures. Your health care provider is the best source of information and advice for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis, but educating yourself through books, articles, and online sources will help you better understand what the disease is and how it can affect you and those around you.