为什么人会缩矮呢？

当我们说老人缩矮，并不是说他们变得小得都可以装进你的口袋！我们只是说老人随着时间的推移变得矮了一些是普通现象。这可不是戏剧性或是突然性的，它是多年积累才发生的，而且变矮的尺寸总计也只有一英寸，或者低于他们成人时的体重（也许少一点，也许少更多）。尽管人们能够减慢或是停止这种进程，但是这种缩矮的情况不能颠倒。但究竟为什么缩矮的情况会发生呢？
Gravity (that force that keeps your feet on the ground) takes hold, and the disks, or cushions between the bones in the spine, get compressed over time. The back bones, called vertebrae (say: vur-tuh-bray), end up pressing closer together, which makes a person lose a little height and become shorter.
地心吸引力（它能使你的双脚立于地面上）使然，而且在脊椎骨中位于骨头间的圆盘和软垫月久年深就变得扁平了。背部的骨头，称为脊骨（说：vur-tuh-bray）是竖着紧压在一起的，而正是这些骨头使一个人的高度减小从而变矮。
Another reason why some older people shrink is because of osteoporosis (say: oss-tee-oh-puh- ro -sis). Osteoporosis occurs when bone is broken down and not enough new bone material is made. Over time, bone is said to be lost because it's not being replaced. Bones become smaller and weaker and can easily break if someone with osteoporosis is injured.
Older people - especially women, who generally have smaller and lighter bones to begin with - are more likely to develop osteoporosis. As years go by, a person with osteoporosis can get small breaks in bones that are called compression fractures. These breaks cause collapse of the vertebrae and over time the person with osteoporosis can become hunched over or stooped.
老人－特别是妇女，他们开始的时候通常有着较小较轻的骨头，从而更有可能导致骨质疏松症。随着时间的推移，一个有着骨质疏松症的人会在骨头间产生小的碎片，而这个就被称为压缩性骨折。这些碎片导致椎骨的崩溃，而月久年深这个有着骨质疏松症的人就会变得驼背或是弯腰。
Smoking and drinking alcohol can make this problem worse. Want to do something right now to build strong bones? Take these two steps. They're smart ideas for kids and adults.
Eat a well-balanced diet , especially with foods rich in the important bone-building mineral calcium (including milk, tofu, cheese, and yogurt; green leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach; and drinks that are fortified with calcium like some kinds of orange juice)
吃一些营养很平衡的食物，特别是那些富含着对骨头生长有重要作用的矿物钙元素的食物（包括牛奶，豆腐，干酪，酸奶酪；绿色叶状疏菜如椰菜和菠菜；喝那些添加了钙的饮料，如某种类型的汁。）
Exercise regularly. Doing so, over time, helps bones stay strong.
· 有规律地锻炼。这么做的话，过了一段时间，有助于骨头保持坚固。
你是也否知道每天你缩短一点？你并不是在一天的结束和一天的开始一样高。那是因为随着时间的过去，受地心吸引力的影响，脊骨盘里的水份压缩了（变薄了），这使你细微的缩短。虽然是如此，却不要担心。一旦你有一个充足的晚休，你的身体就会恢愎过来，而在第二天早上，你又会站得高高的！