[What a healthy lifestyle stands for at the menopause: the role of the gynaecologist].

Post-menopausal osteoporosis is a public health problem, because of its extreme frequency and its related fractures. Gynaecologists play an important role in the early detection of patients whose bones are at risk. During the consultation, a routine examination, asking pertinent questions and taking height and weight measurements, allows for the discovery of modifiable risk factors - diet, life style: physical activity, alcohol and tobacco consumption, etc. Gynaecologists are in a particularly good position to intervene. Indeed, they can inform and advise these patients at risk, by recommending a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D and protein, maintaining a healthy BMI, a sufficient exposure to sunlight, daily physical activity with a preference for weight-bearing exercise, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol. These simple changes for a healthy life style can slow down the loss of bone density, and this well before any loss due to estrogen deficiency.