Help Your Daughter Build Better Bones with Best Bones Forever!

Older than 9? Now’s the time!

Beginning at age 9, girls need lots of foods with calcium and vitamin D and physical activity to help build strong bones for life. Osteoporosis is often called a “pediatric disease with geriatric consequences.” In girls, close to 90 percent of bone mass is built by age 18.

Dot Girl is partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health to promote their national campaign called Best Bones Forever! The goal of Best Bones Forever! is to encourage girls to get more calcium and vitamin D and physical activity to help build strong bones for life.

The federal government recommendation for daily calcium consumption increases from 1,000 milligrams (mg) to 1,300 mg at age nine. The guidelines for physical activity for kids are 60 minutes daily, including three days of bone-strengthening activity. Best Bones Forever! focuses on friendship and how girls can help each other build strong bones through bone-healthy foods and physical activities—girls who “grow strong together, stay strong forever.”

Act now to help your daughter build the strong bones she’ll need for life! The Best Bones Forever! Web site is packed with helpful tips for parents on how to help their daughters get more foods with calcium and vitamin D and physical activity—the ingredients she needs to help reduce her risk for osteoporosis later in life. You’ll also find great recipes, an interactive Calcium Calculator, and information on how to protect your own bone health.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for informational purposes only, and are not intended as medical advice. For medical care and advice, you should consult your physician or health care provider on a regular basis. If you have any problem which concerns you, consult your physician immediately.