You may know Sally Field as the two time
Academy Award Winning actress who
is currently playing "Nora" in the top
TV show Brothers and Sisters. But now
she has a new starring role--not as an
actress but as a public health activist
helping women everywhere combat
Osteoporosis.
After being diagnosed with Osteoporosis in 2005, Sally decided to lead a public action campaign to educate and inspire women to fight this often debilitating disease that can lead to serious fractures or even death. Osteoporosis threatens more than 44 million Americans over 50; nearly 80% are women.
I interviewed Sally an hour after she kicked off the second stage of her Rally With Sally campaign by addressing the now 90 women in Congress. (Co-hosted by the Society for Women's Health Research and the National Osteoporosis Foundation, sponsored by Roche and GlaxoSmithKline.
For more information on Osteoporosis and the Rally With Sally For Bone Health campaign visit www.BoneHealth.com)
I asked her:
MH: How did [the rally] go? Do you think you got your message across?
Sally: I hope so. It's such a really great opportunity to come and speak to these most influential women in our country …two thirds of the Congress women are over the age of 50. Not only do I want them to be aware to look out for their own heath in this matter but then they can bring back this information to the constituents…that they all need to be getting bone density tests…if they are at risk they need to decide on a treatment with their health care provider. Two out of three women will experience osteoporosis related fractures sometime in their life. It's just enormous.
MH: Do you have a family history of Osteoporosis yourself?
Sally: Yes, I do. My mother has Osteoporosis and my grandmother on my father's side had osteoporosis. When I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis I thought it was the 'little old woman's disease'. But that isn't true. I am the face of Osteoporosis; [it] really looks like me! It's silent, you-don't-know-it's-there unless you're getting a bone density test or experience a fracture.
MH: What changed you from an Osteoporosis patient to an activist?
Sally: I think when I learned about the epidemic level that it's on-- how risky it is if Osteoporosis goes undetected and untreated-- that you could experience a fracture picking up a bag of groceries, or sitting down on a hard bench. It isn't that you would fracture something by skiing and running into a tree. It's something as simple as stepping off a curb, breaking your ankle. These fractures can impact your life greatly, and can begin a spiral down for your health that can shorten your life.
MH: I understand you are on Boniva, which is a relatively new Osteoporosis medication. What is your personal experience with it?
Sally: It's been excellent. First of all, it works best for me because I only have to take it once a month...You have to be extremely consistent with these types of medications…it is a medication where you have to take it on an empty stomach, you can't eat for an hour, you can't lie down. After a year on treatment, my recent bone mineral density test showed my progression of osteoporotic bone loss had stopped.
MH: I am sure you are also taking calcium and Vitamin D?
Sally: I take calcium and…Vitamin D. …my body's is having a hard time absorbing Vitamin D. The Vitamin D specialist that I spoke to believes that it's a good idea for women to get a little bit of unprotected sunshine… if you get 10 minutes of sun on your legs a couple of times a week, you will help your body be able to absorb the Vitamin D.
Editor Note:
I spoke to leading endocrinologist, Vitamin D Specialist Farhad Zangeneh, MD, and he told me that Vitamin D helps your body to absorb calcium. And went on to say it is a very powerful substance and any intake of Vitamin D should be closely monitored by your doctor.
(When taken as a supplement, The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends 400 and 800 international units (IU). Do not take more than 800 IU per day unless your doctor prescribes it, since massive doses of vitamin D may be harmful. For more info www.nof.org )
MH: How about weight bearing exercise; what are you doing for that?
Sally: Well, I have always done all of that. Right now I work out with weights three times a week.
MH: Where do you see this all leading? What is your goal?
Sally: I want this to happen right away. The country has to start thinking of preventative medicine. My goal is for women to go in to their health care providers with information. And I think that's what people have to do today. They don't have a situation where daddy doctor fixes everything… 18 BILLION DOLLARS is estimated to be spent…this comes from the Surgeon General's office… on osteoporosis related fractures. Now many of these fractures could be prevented. And think what could be done with that 18 billion dollars: Research. Or, we could start taking care of the people who have no health care, how about that?
MH: Thank you Sally!
