HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 26
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss and Delegates Fleischauer, Martin, Amores, Anderson, Ashley, Azinger, Beach, Beane, Boggs, Border, Buchanan, Butcher, Campbell, Cann, Capito, Caputo, Claypole, Clements, Coleman, Collins, Compton, Dalton, Damron, Davis, Dempsey, Douglas, Doyle, Ennis, Evans, Everson, Facemyer, Faircloth, Fantasia, Flanigan, Fragale, Gillespie, Given, Givens, Hall, Harrison, Heck, Henderson, Hubbard, Hunt, Hutchins, Jenkins, Johnson, Kelley, Kominar, Kuhn, Laird, Leach, Leggett, Linch, Louisos, Mahan, Manuel, McGraw, Mezzatesta, Michael, Miller, Osborne, Overington, Pettit, Pino, Proudfoot, Prunty, Pulliam, Riggs, Rowe, Seacrist, Shelton, Smirl, Smith, Sparks, Spencer, Stalnaker, Staton, Stemple, Thomas, Thompson, Tillis, Tomblin, Trump, Tucker, Underwood, Varner, Walters, Warner, Webb, C. White, H. White, L. White, Williams, Willis, Willison, Wright and Yeager .)



Declaring Tuesday, March 3, 1998, Osteoporosis Awareness Day.
Whereas, Osteoporosis is an age-related disease characterized by decreased bone tissue and increased susceptibility to fractures; and
Whereas, Osteoporosis can be prevented through adequate nutrition and exercise in childhood and early adulthood. Physical activity, proper nutrition and drug therapies can slow the progression of osteoporosis in older adults who are already affected; and
Whereas, In the United States, approximately 1.5 million fractures per year are osteoporosis-related: 300,000 hip fractures, 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 distal forearm fractures, and 250,000 fractures at other sites; and
Whereas, One in every two women and one in eight men will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture at some time in their lives. A woman's risk of hip fracture is equal to her combined risk of having breast, uterine, or ovarian cancer; and
Whereas, In 1996, 42% of people aged 50 and older in West Virginia either already had osteoporosis or were at risk for the disease due to low bone density. Over one- half of all state women in this age group, or approximately six out of every ten, were estimated to be at risk for or from osteoporosis; and
Whereas, In 1996, over two thirds (68%) of all hospitalizations for fractures among West Virginians aged 45 and older were due to osteoporosis; and
Whereas, Over $42 million was billed in West Virginia in 1996 for hospitalizations due to osteoporosis fractures; this represented 65% of total charges for all fractures among persons aged 45 and older; and
Whereas, The National Osteoporosis Foundation predicts that by 2015 a total of 227,256 women and 43,383 men in West Virginia will have osteoporosis or low bone mass; therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Delegates:
That Tuesday, March 3, 1998, be declared Osteoporosis Awareness Day in the State of West Virginia; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the House of Delegates encourages all citizens to educate themselves about this potentially devastating disease in the hope of preventing as many cases as possible in the future and in the hopes that greater awareness will result in the development of a cure; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates be directed to forward a copyies of this resolution to His Excellency, the Governor.