To think this is insensitively worded, to say the least?

[KimberleyClark]

From the website of the Royal Osteoporosis Society

theros.org.uk/latest-news/international-women-s-day-let-s-end-the-ageist-stereotypes-that-fuel-the-most-insidious-women-s-health-condition/?_gl=114hsiyd_up*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk7ugBhDIARIsAGuvgPboftpiYL9EHStxq48v0H5lLUXvpcznG4Nt93uHDTN9RmPFxGS6j2QaAqj8EALw_wcB

“Most are surprised to hear it affects a half of all women over 50. That’s every other mother. Every other grandmother. And it’s serious. More so than people think: as many people die from its complications as from lung cancer or diabetes. So why is nobody talking about it?“

Do women with osteoporosis who aren’t mothers or grandmothers not count?

😀

As it interested me, I went off looking for comparisons to adverts about testicular cancer. I found one that was focused around women’s breasts 😳🙄🙀

The only female roles mentioned by name are mothers though. That infers a value. As I said would it have killed to add an ‘aunt’ in there?

Yeah, I see that point.

Well women who have had children are more prone to osteoporosis. Women who were teen mothers are especially prone.

Yep I agree - but people don’t seem to always read past the first paragraph or two before making a judgement as to the rest of the leaflet/information/article etc. Rest assured the post was swiftly (re) educated!

My view is that it is written in a manner which captures the reader and gets them to read more of the literature at hand. It’s certainly getting discussed across the internet - which could be a good thing for awareness.

That’s also a good point. But the disease does not distinguish between male/female/ mother/non mother, which was the direction that particular poster went with.

I think people are getting irate about the wrong thing here, if I'm honest.

Osteoporosis is a disease mostly affecting older women. It can be painful, disabling and disfiguring, even fatal. Yet it's so common that it's frequently seen as a normal part of the female ageing process, ie something that's just hard luck and to be accepted rather than treated. Let's even make gentle fun of the little old ladies shrinking. Shouldn't we be saying 'fuck that for a game of soldiers'? Because to me it's on the cards for a good many of us.

Osteoporosis disproportionately effects women. With elderly women now particularly there is a wider story to be told about nutrition and the under feeding of female children vs male children in times past.

I think you are overthinking this.

But at least it seems to have women talking about something that is really important but is often overlooked.

Osteoporosis is often diagnosed too late.
Many women do not know enough about the risks of developing osteoporosis.
Or how to prevent it.

Possible options:
HRT
Healthy diet
Limit alcohol and do not smoke

And, most importantly, EXERCISE.
Especially weight bearing exercise.
Lots of workouts on YouTube - Caroline Girvan, Growingannanas, Heather Robertson, Sydney Cummings, Rebecca Louise........
All you need is a mat and some dumbbells

Another valid point. But at least this literature has got the internet and BOTH men and women discussing it, (for whatever reason). That must surely be a good thing in raising awareness.

That could easily have been achieved by being inclusive of all older women. This is a campaign aimed at women, not everyone.

Not everyone has a sister or aunt but every one has or had a mother or grandmother

Why does everything have to offend someone? Or are people looking deliberately to be offended as it's a slow news day? Boredom?

But apparently it does mention/include men, according to a pp (7eleven) on here? So the campaign is being inclusive of those biologically unable to carry children - granted not specifically women who haven’t given birth.

As I said, given this specific topic is being discussed elsewhere on the internet - it is hopefully going to educate a lot wider audience and that must be a positive thing?
(Super Cynical me wonders if the wording might have been deliberate to achieve just that).

I think your super cynical side overlooks the entrenched misogyny in our society which ignores older women in general and childless older women in particular. That’s the much more likely explanation than an incredibly well thought out campaign to stimulate debate - this point won’t be picked on anywhere else but this thread and no campaign would be based on that niche exposure.

@Eyerollcentral but it is being discussed on other Internet forums. This isn’t the only Internet forum thread on this particular subject thread. Which has to be good for a wider audience to be educated on bone loss.
Personally I can’t really get upset about an educational leaflet that is doing exactly what it’s intended to do. Which is excellent. Reaching as many people as it can to do so. The wording could have been better… but meh.

oh, I don’t overlook the misogyny of a society which ignores older women..and childless ones - I am both much older and childless, and often feel totally invisible and not heard, but this leaflet wording is not a ‘hill to die on’. (Imo)

“And I don’t have any children or grandchildren to be impacted if I get osteoporosis. So it does feel as though my getting osteoporosis is somehow irrelevant.”

That’s a highly personal interpretation. It’s factually incorrect and badly worded. But it’s obviously they were trying to personalise it as almost everyone has/has had a mother or mother figure. I don’t agree with how they chosen to do that, but that’s all it is. No-one is saying your osteoporosis would be irrelevant - that’s your own issue driving your interpretation.

It's obvious this charity or organisation is trying to attempt to make a health disorder more personal,
A health disorder that doesn't automatically attract celebrities to get behind this subject or so many clicks on social media,

It's not rocket science to understand this Op@KimberleyClark !!!

Why make a make a issue 😕 of them the organisation putting it across in that way, ??

Why not focus on the Actual issue that they are actually talking about then???

You've taken it the wrong way. It's just trying to make it real for people as everyone has a mother and a grandmother.

I think the writer was thinking shall we release this on Mothers Day or international womens day. I wouldn’t get upset about this to be honest.

It's merely appealing to the personal aspect.
Most people have a mother or a grandmother. It's making our imagination think of an actual woman and relfect on that loss. Pregnancy can leech calcium from bones so possibly it does affect child bearers more so.
I am not offended.
Maybe other flyers appeal to other groups.

I saw a great meme once:

She's someone's
mother
sister
wife
daughter

Women are someone, regardless of their relationships to someone else.

I find it quite patronising. They have already said half of all women, but then, just in case we are not sure what half means, they explain that it means every other mother or grandmother (even though that is not half anyway).

Lack of calcium, vitamin D etc would be more likely in woman who have gone through pregnancy too, ie mothers and grandmother's.

This

I don’t think they are saying that half of all women equates to every other mother plus every other grandmother. They are just emphasising some groups that are affected to make us visualise what half of all women means, in personal terms. As I said in a previous post, it’s to personalise/visualise statistics. Half of all children could be emphasised by saying “Every other child in each school class”. It doesn’t include children who aren’t at school who may be affected, because it doesn’t need to. It just helps you visualise a proportion of a class who might be affected.