There are other sources of calcium available in the American diet, but, according to the USDA, 75% of the available calcium in the food supply is found in dairy products. Getting the daily minimum requirement of calcium each day would be difficult through sources other than dairy products. For instance, a teen would need to consume over 12 cups of broccoli per day to get the recommended 1,300 mg of daily calcium.

Generally speaking, boys and girls drink milk at the same rate until the early teen years. Then it becomes "unfashionable" for girls to drink milk. Could there be a relationship between the fact that girls stop drinking milk, and women are more likely than men to get osteoporosis? There are several "milk myths" that may be the cause of this difference between the milk intake of boys and girls.

The first myth is that milk is fattening. In reality, an 8-ounce glass of fat free milk offers zero fat and contains only 80 calories, about the same amount as is found in half a can of soda. Believe it or not, a Purdue University study found that higher calcium intake seemed to reduce overall levels of body fat and slowed weight gain.

Myth number two is that milk isn't important once a person is in high school. In reality, teens actually need milk more than they did in grade school since nearly 15% of adult height is reached in junior high and high school. If you doubt that, just look at the difference between the size of students in the sixth grade compared to seniors.

Myth number three is that teens think they are getting enough milk. The little bit of milk a teen gets with cereal in the morning just isn't enough. Teens need at least three 8-ounce glasses of milk (or the equivalent) each day. Other good sources of calcium include cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and calcium fortified foods.

1. Set an example and drink milk.

2. Make milk available. Whether eating at home or on the road, adolescents cannot choose milk if it's not available, and may not ask for it if it isn't offered.

3. Be sure adolescents know the facts about the importance of milk. Many teens are concerned about their bodies. If they are and they have the real facts about milk, they are more likely to choose it.

How much, and where can I get it?

Getting the recommended levels of calcium in the diet is not easy. As a result, food producers are adding calcium to their foods. Here are just a few of what's already available:

Is there a daily intake level that is too high? Yes, over 2,500 milligrams a day. A dose this high day after day could lead to kidney stones. And if a person decides to get some of their daily calcium intake via a supplement, they need to consider how much they generally get in their diet and then determine the dosage of the supplement.

This issue of Ups & Downs was contributed by Jessye Goertz, Extension Educator in Morrill County, Nebraska.. Ups & Downs is edited by Stephen T. Russell, Ph.D., Assistant Youth Development Cooperative Extension Specialist, University of California, Davis.