Today as I was driving home from work, I heard about your books and organization on the radio. I also heard yesterday in the media that young girls should start taking calcium tablets. Is there any particular reason that these tablets have to be so large? The pharmacist could not give me an answer and I was wondering if there was some sort of alternative to these rather large pills -- especially for my l4 year old daughter. I hope that you can shed some light on this matter.

Children do not have to take calcium supplements unless there is a medical reason given by their doctor. By far the best way to get calcium for strong bones in girls to get it through healthy foods. Dairy foods, green vegetables, calcium fortified orange juice or fortified breakfast cereals are all excellent sources of calcium. There are several chapters in Strong Women, Strong Bones, Strong Women Stay Young, and Strong Women Stay Slim about how to easily increase your calcium intake, and I even give a number of tips for how to get your kids to eat more calcium as well.