“Osteoporosis. It’s Beatable. It’s Treatable.”

May 1, 2007 (Washington, DC) – Through its launch of the “Osteoporosis. It’s Beatable. It’s Treatable.” campaign, the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) is reaching out to all Americans during Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month to take action to improve their bone health. 

This comprehensive program was developed to increase awareness among the general public on the importance of bone health and osteoporosis prevention, while providing healthcare professionals with a valuable resource to better care for and educate their patients on this disease.  

“’Osteoporosis. It’s Beatable. It’s Treatable.’ underscores that osteoporosis is a major public health threat for more than half of all Americans over age 50, yet one that can be largely prevented, detected and treated,” said Leo Schargorodski, Executive Director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. “NOF is dedicated to making bone health a lifelong priority for all individuals.” 

NOF teamed up with Joan Rivers to develop video, radio and print PSAs.  Playing off her sense of humor and personal experience with osteoporosis, Joan delivers the ‘It’s Beatable. It’s Treatable.’ message nationally. NOF also produced a comprehensive PSA campaign to engage Latino audiences, since half of Latina women over 50 have low bone mass. 

“We know that one in two women and one in four men over 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point in their lives,” said Felicia Cosman, MD, clinical director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. “So it’s crucial for individuals to build and maintain strong bones throughout all stages of life.”  

In addition to the public service announcements, NOF produced a “Bone Tool Kit” for healthcare professionals to provide individuals with basic information on bone health. This educational resource, available in both English and Spanish, offers general information on osteoporosis prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management for diverse audiences, and provides information on how to build and maintain strong bones.

The Tool Kit has several sections or fact sheets that address the following audiences and topics: Asian women, African American women, Caucasian women, Latinas, teens, women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, men and osteoporosis treatments. Each fact sheet or section of the Bone Tool Kit is a reproducible, stand-alone piece with essential information for osteoporosis. 

These materials are available at www.nof.org for download. The materials NOF has created for Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month will be available on NOF’s Web site this month and throughout the year to help educate individuals on the importance of bone health and osteoporosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment. 

Established in 1984, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization solely dedicated to osteoporosis and bone health. Our mission is to prevent osteoporosis, to promote lifelong bone health, to help improve the lives of those affected by osteoporosis and related fractures, and to find a cure. For more information on osteoporosis and bone health, contact NOF online at www.nof.org or by telephone (800) 223-9994.