Make no bones about it. The iconic New Zealand dairy farm - and a process known as 'calcium banking' - may hold one of the keys to reversing a grim reality affecting tens of thousands of people in the country.
Every year, around 100,000 Kiwis suffer a broken bone in their body because of osteoporosis, a condition which leads to brittle bones in older age making them more susceptible to fractures.
Osteoporosis New Zealand (ONZ) says the number of fractures is predicted to rise to 116,000 by 2020, with costs escalating from $350 million (in 2013) to $411 million.
Many experts say 'calcium banking' in teenage years could help reduce these numbers - which is where the dairy farm comes in.
Calcium helps build strong and healthy bones and one of the most readily available food sources of calcium is dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese. Experts believe two or three servings a day can help create a so-called 'calcium bank' in the bones, keeping them calcium-rich and helping to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later life.
Virtually all of the calcium in our bodies is stored in the bones. Acting as a 'bank', the bones release the mineral into the bloodstream when we don't get enough calcium from food. This 'withdrawal' can lead to bone loss, low bone density and bone fractures.
Osteoporosis affects mainly men from about the age of 50 and post-menopausal women.
ONZ says one in every three women and one in every five men will suffer an osteoporosis fracture in their lifetime. Hips are the most serious fracture, with around 4,500 occurring in New Zealand every year.
But it is during teenage and early adult years when the disease can be most effectively combated.
A senior lecturer of nutrition at Massey University, Dr Pamela von Hurst, says the best time to build strong bones is in these adolescent and early adult years.
"For a number of reasons," says von Hurst, "many adolescents, mainly girls, tend to lower their dairy intake after puberty. Often they are exploring dietary options, and some are worried about their weight.
"But the problem with that it is at this very stage of life when bodies start laying down calcium to strengthen bones against osteoporosis.
"This period is so dynamic. It is the most opportune time to develop strong healthy bones and will hold our girls in good stead for life. The risk of osteoporosis can be reduced and the best time to do it is before reaching adulthood," she says.
The NZ Nutrition Foundation website says growing youngsters, especially teenagers, need calcium every day to maximise the strength of their skeleton, pregnant and breastfeeding women need it for their own bones and those of their baby, and men over 70 and women after menopause need extra calcium to maintain their bone mass.
It says people need different amounts of calcium at different stages of life. Teenagers between 12 and 18 for example, require 1300 mg per day; the average adult man and woman 1000 mg per day; the over 70s, 1300 mg per day.
Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are the most readily available food sources of calcium. The Foundation says two to three servings of dairy products a day will help to meet calcium needs. One serve is equivalent to a cup of milk (about 310 mg calcium), a pottle of yoghurt (195 mg) or two slices of cheese (375 mg)."
It says other foods containing calcium include fortified soy and rice milks, tofu, sardines, almonds, sesame seeds and broccoli.
Fonterra's principal research scientist, Linda Schollum, says good nutrition and high calcium foods help adults and the elderly preserve bone mass and strength and can speed recovery from, and reduce the risk of, fractures.
"There are so many great ways to serve up dairy. Smoothies are really popular with teenagers and they provide good protein as well as calcium and seem to go hand in hand with exercise which is also important for developing and maintaining strong bones," she says.
Osteoporosis can exact huge personal and economic tolls. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, disability caused by the disease is greater than that caused by cancers (except lung cancer) and for women over 45 it accounts for more days spent in hospital than many other diseases including diabetes and breast cancer.