I think one of the things to do, if you are concerned, is to get a bone density test. Another is to do what you can to make sure that, by the time you go into menopause, you have as good a set of bones as you can.

I think I'm in good shape because we ate a lot of meat when I was growing up (and we were taught young by an English friend to gnaw on chicken bones, a great source of calcium). I have had a number of opportunities to break bones and they held up (knock wood ). But I went for a lot of years eating very little meat and not taking any supplements.

So now, I eat meat and I take supplements and I exercise. I have a few more years to prepare according to my GYN. And I read all I can of the research that is so kindly provided on this site to learn all I can do to make sure my bones are as strong as possible.

And the last thing to keep in mind is that some people have weak bones no matter what they do. My maternal grandmother was like that. She also appeared to eat a good diet to get calcium and protein, but she started breaking bones when she was still in her twenties, which kept her from being as active as she should have been. She broke her hip twice, once before menopause. Luckily, my mom and I don't seem to take after her.

;-Deb