Body Composition and Bone Mass in Female Adolescents and Elderly Subjects Entering Exercise Programs

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the mass of mineral in the skeleton is reduced but is of normal composition. The result of the reduced bone mass is that bones are less able to resist normal compressive forces and the risk of bone fracture is greatly increased, particularly at sites such as the lumbar spine, the femoral neck and the distal radius. The incidence of bone fractures rises dramatically with age, particularly for women, and 1 in 3 women who live to the age of 80 will suffer a fractured hip. There is considerable morbidity associated with osteoporosis, and about 1 in 5 people will die within a few months of the surgical repair of a hip fracture. Osteoporosis is a major burden to the patient, to society and to the health care system’.