[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8910]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        STRONG WOMEN STAND TALL

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 19, 2006

  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.

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