Vitamin D deficiency is common among all segments of society, but a group of medical experts is calling for doctors to check the nutritional status of all young people, as the problem can be particularly dangerous for them.

Dominique Long, an endocrinologist at Johns Hopkins University, and her colleagues said that vitamin D deficiency can lead to a number of health complications in adolescents and young adults. Given that this is an important period for an individual's physical development, these issues can be serious.

Vitamin D deficiency becomes even more common in the winter months, when the sun's rays are at their weakest. It is particularly important for young people to have their nutritional levels tested during this time of year.

"Vitamin D deficiency can be a problem year round, but because sun exposure is critical for vitamin D synthesis and production, the winter months further exacerbate what is a perennial problem," Long said.

Vitamin D deficiency can be corrected relatively easily by spending a few extra minutes in the sun each day or taking nutritional supplements.