Risk factors we can control
1.Anorexia nervosa: this is an eating disorder whereby people severely reduce the amount they eat or at times eat nothing. As a result they lose substantial amounts of weight. This causes loss in calcium and vitamin D consumption which are bone making components. Adding on, it can also affect the hormones such as estrogen that control the bone health.
2.Alcohol consumption: a lot of alcohol reduces the amount of calcium available to the bones, hence increasing parathyroid hormone, a type of hormone that additionally reduces calcium and prevents the body from absorbing vitamin D. Calcium and vitamin D are vital for bone formations, without these two substances the bones fall weak.
3.Cigarette smoking: smoking interferes with the body’s use of calcium and alters with estrogen levels. Adding on nicotine which is an element used in cigarettes is toxic to bone cells.
4.Inactivity- people who are not active create room for bone loss hence reducing the strength in the bones.
5.Poor diet- a diet without calcium and vitamin D makes it harder for the body to replace the lost bone tissues hence leading to osteoporosis.