The Reason You Should Be Thinking About Bone Health by Your 20s May Surprise You

Taking care of your bone health isn’t on the minds of most people in their 20s, 30s, and even 40s.. Sure, we know our bodies can begin to get slower as we age—our hearing deteriorates, perfect eyesight dwindles, and endurance takes a hit. But these are changes we expect to happen in middle age or even later.What many don’t realize is that bone mass reaches its peak in our 20s, according to board-certified pediatric rheumatologist Jennifer Weiss, MD. Antonia F. Chen, MD., MBA, the chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center, agrees, adding that our bone health starts declining in our late thirties and early forties.“Typically, it happens gradually and only becomes possible to detect if you lose some height, develop a stooped posture, or break bones,” Chen says. “If you break, or fracture, one bone, that is an indication of poor bone health and increases the likelihood of breaking other bones.” But what if you don’t show any obvious signs of bone dete...