BOOST YOUR BONES !

Steroidscan be a problem for bones, although usually only when taken in prolonged and high doses - as is often the case with severe asthmatics.

Encourage your son to talk to his GP about medication to rebuild lost bone, as there are effective drugs available.

Calcium is vital - good sources are cheese, yoghurt and milk. Calcium is also found in fortified soya milk, tofu, fortified orange juice and cereals (but watch the sugar content of these last two), nuts (especially almonds), dried fruits such as figs and apricots and leafy green vegetables.

You also need Vitamin D to absorb calcium - sunshine is our greatest source, but foods include liver, egg yolks, fortified breakfast cereals (check labels) and yoghurt.

As for the 'no no's', keep saturated fat and salt intake down, as bones don't like too much of either. Here are some calcium-rich meals.