The daily calcium intake in children and teenagers is much below the necessary quantity, in order to build the adequate peak bone mass, which is one of the most important osteoporosis risk factors that can be influenced.

The cause seems to be the bad dietary habits and “fashion” more than the socio-financial aspects, but also because school cafeterias are not provided with dairy products. In addition, other risk factors in losing bone mass in teenagers, are smoking and coffee consumption.

ASPOR made a survey on 4074 children, aged 6-19 from different schools in Targu Mures, in 2000, and the results were:

70% of the children don`t take in the daily necessary quantity of calcium ,

Their diet is scarce in dairy products

18% of the category aged 15-19, are smokers

20% of the same category, drink alcohol regularly