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There isn't much evidence to show that changing the way you live can help if you already have osteoporosis. But most doctors agree that there are sensible things you can do that may help prevent osteoporosis. Here are some of those things.

A lot of research shows that women who are very thin and have small bones are more likely to get osteoporosis. Women who weigh more are less likely to get it.¹

You can find out if you don't weigh enough (or weigh too much) by using our BMI calculator. Ask your doctor what your BMI score means for you. If your weight is low, ask your doctor to see a dietitian. This person can advise you about the healthiest way to put on weight.

Women who smoke tend to be thinner than women who don't smoke. They also have less of the hormone called estrogen. And they have menopause earlier than women who don't smoke. All these things make them more likely to get osteoporosis.²

Smoking makes men's bones weaker too.³

If you give up smoking, your chances of getting osteoporosis start to go down. But the risk doesn't go down much until 10 years after you give up.⁴

Getting sensible, regular exercise is good for preventing osteoporosis. Regular means about three times to four times each week. Activities like walking, jogging, running, climbing stairs, dancing, exercising on a treadmill and lifting weights are all good for building up your bones.⁵

Calcium and vitamin D are important nutrients for building up healthy bone.⁵

You can get a lot of calcium from dairy products. These include milk, yogurt and cheese. Other foods with lots of calcium are canned sardines and salmon with bones, and green leafy vegetables, like broccoli and spinach. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends you eat 1 gram of calcium a day.⁶

Vitamin D is made in your skin. But your skin needs some sunlight to do this. Vitamin D is also found in oily fish (like salmon or mackerel), milk and foods that have extra nutrients added to them, like breakfast cereals. The FDA recommends you eat 400 IU of vitamin D a day.⁶ IU is short for international units.

If you don't get enough calcium and vitamin D from the food you eat, you can take them as pills or capsules.

Having one or two alcoholic drinks a day does not seem to make your bones weaker.⁷ But drinking a lot may increase your chances of osteoporosis. We need more research to say for sure.⁸

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.