A disease you cannot feel at all — until a fracture arrives from a simple fall. And preventing it begins two decades before it appears.
The local numbers
A study in northern Saudi Arabia of women over forty found 58% had low bone mineral density — 18% osteoporosis and 40% osteopenia[1]. Sources from the Saudi Diabetes and Endocrine Association in the Eastern Province indicate that 30–50% of Saudi women over forty develop osteoporosis[1]. A Riyadh study in postmenopausal women recorded better figures: 18% osteopenia and 6% osteoporosis[2] — the variation reflecting different samples and regions.
58%low bone density in a
northern study
northern study
~60%have calcium intake below
estimated requirements
estimated requirements
7%only exercised in one
of the studies
of the studies
Three factors converging on us
- Calcium: about 60% of one study sample had intake below estimated requirements, and the entire sample had vitamin D intake below requirements[3].
- Vitamin D: most postmenopausal women in a sample were deficient, with obesity and poor sun exposure as leading risk factors[4] (see the vitamin D paradox).
- Inactivity: in one study only 7% exercised and only 5% ate a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D[3].
The prevention plan
- Calcium from the plate first: laban, yoghurt, labneh, cheese, sardines with bones, sesame and tahini.
- Vitamin D after testing — not by guesswork.
- Resistance and weight-bearing exercise: bone responds to load, and this is documented in postmenopausal women (see the resistance article).
- Protein is not the enemy of bone: it is a partner in building it (your numbers here).
- DEXA scanning: ask your doctor about the right timing for you, especially with a family history.
🦴 Bottom line: Bone is living tissue, built and broken down daily. What you do in your thirties and forties determines your fractures in your seventies — and the best time to start is now.