When we think of osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile, we picture a frail woman and not a child. But the fact is that some children and teenagers are at risk for fractures, just like elderly people with osteoporosis.

“Younger and younger girls are concerned about dieting,” said Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM, owner of Nutrition Conditioning, Inc., a nutrition consulting practice that helps individuals, teams and organizations achieve health and performance goals, serving the greater New York Metropolitan area. “So if they are restricting food and drinking soda instead of milk, they might not be getting enough calories, protein, nutrients and it’s going to affect them forever.”

Ms. Skolnik, who also serves as nutritionist at The Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery and is a Sports Nutrition Consultant to the New York Knicks, the School of American Ballet, and The Juilliard School, said that young girls tend to be energy deficient and the dieting and over exercising can interfere with their hormones and menstrual cycles—an important factor in “laying down bone structure.”

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, “about 85-90% of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys. Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence can help to prevent osteoporosis later in life.” But they note that “since teens are still in their bone building years and capable of building bone, they aren’t labeled as having osteoporosis that young.”

This preventable condition affects 44 million Americans, or 55 percent of the people 50 years of age and older. “While osteoporosis is often thought of as an older person’s disease, it can strike at any age,” notes the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Regardless of age, females tend to be at higher risk as estrogen plays a key role in bone density. Eighty-percent of those with osteoporosis are women, and twenty percent are men.

As women lose estrogen during and after menopause, their risk for osteoporosis increases. Amenorrhea—missed periods—is also a time when estrogen is too low. Other risk factors include a genetic predisposition to osteoporosis and being thin and small. The National Osteoporosis Foundation has a complete list of risk factors on its website.

“I had a 27-year old woman who literally had twenty stress fractures,” Ms. Skolnik said. “If she stepped off a curb, she could break a bone. It was hard for her to heal.”

The Osteoporosis Foundation has a personal story of an athletic teenage girl who was dealing with broken bones on their website blog.

Ms. Skolnik said that such cases are rare and the emphasis should be on building the architecture of the bones throughout childhood through a combination of healthy eating—with plenty of calcium and vitamin D—as well as proper exercise.

“Physical activity like jumping rope and gymnastics are good for the bones,” she said. “You should be building that bone bank for life. If at 17 you have not built your bones, then you have nowhere to go over the next 50 years.”

Certainly lifestyle changes can benefit teenagers who may have low bone density—particularly establishing regular periods for girls. “A lot of runners think if they are thinner, they will go faster, which is not true,” Ms. Skolnik said. Instead she recommends short amounts of exercise—such as recess for younger children when they can jump and run—to help build bone mass when they are still growing.

Furthermore, diets are not beneficial to children. “Dieting isn’t recommended for children,” she said. “It’s ironic in this obesity epidemic, but they need to develop healthy eating patterns and maintain them as they outgrow being overweight.”

And adults need to be careful about what messages they send to their children when talking about their own bodies. “We say things like, ‘Do I look fat in this?’ and ‘I can’t believe I ate that cake, now I have to go to the gym!’ instead of saying you want to go get strong. Our kids hear that and it’s a message of it’s normative to dislike our bodies. Girls are striving for thin ideals and cutting out lots of food groups.”

While good nutrition and exercise are important for all children, there can be other cause of bone breakage in children. The National Osteoporosis Foundation highlights osteogenesis imperfecta, which is a genetic disease that causes weak bones; idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis, which affects children ages one to 13 and the cause is unknown; steroid medications might also slow bone growth in children and increase their risk for osteoporosis.

When it comes to preventing heart disease and living life to its fullest, experts recommend following a heart health diet. If it isn’t already there, why not put eating right for your heart at the top of your priority list this year?

“It’s critical that we know we can reduce heart disease by promoting a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle,” said Rachel Johnson, a registered dietician and professor of medicine at the University of Vermont.

Ms. Johnson refers to the American Heart Association’s for its extensive nutrition center, where anyone can learn about good and bad fats, find recipes and learn how to eat right whether cooking at home or dining out.

In general, Ms. Johnson said, the dietary guidelines for a healthy heart are the same for everyone, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. “They would change somewhat if you are at a higher risk, have some genetic predisposition or high risk factors like bad cholesterol or diabetes,” she said. “But for general prevention, a family can eat a heart healthy diet and meet their nutrient needs.”

Hungry for vegetables? That’s a good thing if you plan on following these guidelines, which recommend over four cups of fruits and vegetables daily. Not only are fruits and vegetables a good source of vitamins and minerals, but they are also rich in dietary fiber. They can be eaten as snacks in place of high-calorie alternatives, and vegetables can go from being side dishes to part of the main course.

Be on the lookout for not-so-healthy fruits and vegetables such as canned fruit in heavy syrup, frozen fruit with added sugar, fried vegetables and vegetables cooked in creamy sauce.

Also eat fiber-rich whole grains. “Whole grains are different than multi-grains,” said Ms. Johnson. “Look for brown rice, whole wheat and oatmeal.” Ground flaxseed can be added to yogurt and cereals and is an excellent source of whole grains.

Of course eating fish — the oilier the better, such as salmon — since omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease is recommended. Nuts and seeds are also recommended, particularly those with good fats (unsalted). Almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds make a nice addition to any salad, smoothie or grain. Soaking nuts and seeds for eight to 12 hours before eating optimizes digestion.

That’s the good news.

Now on to the foods that we all need less of to have a heart healthy diet. Start with cutting sodium, which is linked to high blood pressure, to less than 1,500 mg per day. Then, reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages — both sodas and fruit drinks. “This should be limited to no more than 36 ounces per week,” said Ms. Johnson. “Those are empty calories and are associated with being overweight or obese.”

Sorry salami lovers, but processed meats also need to be cut back to two servings per week. Overall, the American Heart Association encourages people to make small, simple changes toward a healthier diet that consists of a wide variety of nutritious foods each day.

Key to understanding the dietary guidelines is to have a little knowledge about fats and how they can affect the heart. According to the Mayo Clinic, “A high blood cholesterol level can lead to a buildup of plaques in your arteries, called atherosclerosis, which can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.” Limiting saturated fats and trans fats can reduce blood cholesterol and therefore lower the risk of coronary artery disease. These fats are typically found in butter, margarine and shortening as well as some meats. But people still need healthy fats in their diets and these are the monounsaturated fats found in olive and canola oils and polyunsaturated fats that come from nuts and seeds. These good fats can help lower blood cholesterol.

Knowledge about a better diet for the heart is key, but Ms. Johnson said that it takes more than that for people’s behavior to change. “Talk with your doctor or a registered dietician,” she said. “Find support groups. It can all help with motivation.”

Before signing on for a new diet as if it’s the next fad, Ms. Johnson reminds people that a heart healthy diet is simply a way of eating well. “It’s not like you follow one diet for heart, one diet for cancer, one diet for diabetes,” she said. “A heart healthy diet is an overall healthy diet.”