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LEARN HOW TO MAKE OUR TYPE LARGER

Mrs. Brady takes on osteoporosis
Published March/April 2001

Florence Henderson

(NAPS) - If you knew you had a 50 percent chance of breaking a bone-and that it could make you dependent on a caretaker for your everyday needs-would you talk to your doctor about how to protect your bones? Surprisingly, many women fail to take this simple step.

According to a recent nationwide poll of 1,000 women, nearly 60 percent of American women over age 50 recognize that osteoporosis, a disease that can cause bones to weaken and break, is a serious risk to their overall health and well-being. Yet only one-third of the women have had a doctor measure the strength and condition of their bones.

"It's time for women to take action against bone loss," says Florence Henderson, "Today Show" correspondent and former "Brady Bunch" mom, who was recently diagnosed with the disease. "By talking with their doctors, women can get a bone mineral density (BMD) test, establish a bone-healthy diet and exercise program, and if necessary, get an extra boost from a prescription medication that can help make their bones stronger and more fracture-resistant."

To help women turn their bone knowledge into action, Henderson recently joined forces with the National Speaking of Women's Health Foundation, Lifetime Television and The Alliance for Better Bone Health to launch "Girlfriends' Night In." Thousands of women went online to view a live Webcast from the Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson, Arizona. Women visiting the site were able to participate in frank discussions on osteoporosis, sexuality and other women's health issues.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, more than 50 million Americans may be affected by osteoporosis in the next century. Osteoporosis, which literally means "porous bone," causes more than a million broken bones in the United States each year. About 66 percent of people who break their hip require supervision of some kind and can no longer lead an independent life, and nearly one in four people over age 50 who break their hip die within one year.

To obtain a brochure on the Actonel¨ Healthy Bone Makeover, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: The Healthy Bone Makeover, 1500 Broadway, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10036.

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