Claims by charity exaggerate dangers of osteoporosis

The organisers of Australia's “healthy bones week” have come under fire for making exaggerated and misleading claims about the dangers of osteoporosis—the loss of bone density that raises the risk of fracture with age.

“Fact 1” on a poster sent to Australian general practitioners last week read: “More Australian women die from osteoporosis than all female cancers combined.” There was no reference to back up the statement, and a search has been unable to find any evidence to support it. Sydney general practitioner Mark Donohoe, a government adviser on false …