Strong Women Stand Tall

STRONG WOMEN STAND TALL

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, the week of May 14 thru 20, 2006 is designated by the Department of Health and Human Services as National Women's Health Week, an effort to raise awareness about women can take to improve their health.

One disease that disproportionately affects women is osteoporosis. Often called a ``silent disease'' because bone loss occurs without symptoms, bones become fragile and are more likely to break with age.

Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for millions of Americans. Ten million individuals are estimated to already have the disease and almost 34 million are at risk of developing osteoporosis. Eighty percent of those affected by osteoporosis are women.

One program that is helping to spread awareness about osteoporosis is Strong Women Stand Tall--a new program to motivate women to join together and take action to protect their bone health. Friday, March 12, 2006 was declared as ``Fuchsia Friday'' to show solidarity among women and to raise awareness of bone health.

When women take even the simplest steps to improve their health, the results can be significant. It is important to action to find out your risk for developing osteoporosis. We need to stay informed and take responsible actions to improve our health.

Reducing our risk for this disease is a lifelong process--it is never too early or too late to protect bone health. Women must recognize their risk for osteoporosis, educate themselves about how to stay strong and healthy, and empower other women to take charge of their bone health. I encourage all women to see their physician and have an osteoporosis screening.

http://thomas.loc.gov/