1. AGE:
The incidence of osteoporosis and bone fractures increases with age.

2. GENETICS:
There is a tendency of osteoporosis to run in families. Certain races have higher incidence of osteoporosis, too. Northern European and Oriental women tend to develop osteoporosis more rapidly than others do.

3. EXERCISE:
A sedentary lifestyle promotes osteoporosis. Physically active women tend to have stronger bones. Muscular stress on the bones tends to stimulate growth of bone. Examples of this type of exercise include walking, jogging, dancing, weight lifting and playing tennis.

4. DIET:
Women who have calcium poor diets tend to develop osteoporosis. Also, as you age, the ability of your digestive system to absorb calcium decreases. Finally, phosphorus (plentiful in red meats) in the diet tends to counteract calcium.

5. HORMONE BALANCE:
Vitamin D is very important for your calcium balance. It is released into blood when the calcium levels drop. Vitamin D also stimulates the intestinal lining to absorb more calcium from food and that is what makes calcium available to return to the bones. Finally, estrogen is very important in the maintenance of healthy bones. Loss of bone mass occurs rapidly once a woman reaches menopause and the ovaries stop secreting estrogen. The necessity of estrogen for bone maintenance is one reason why osteoporosis is mainly a disease of elderly women.

6. WEIGHT:
Thin women tend to develop osteoporosis more quickly than obese women, who rarely develop osteoporosis.

7. SMOKING, ALCOHOL, and CAFFEINE:
All those increase the risks of osteoporosis.