Osteoporosis is an increasingly common condition that affects three million people in Britain: one in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 develop the disease.
After the age of 35, we all naturally lose some bone strength as old bone is lost faster than new bone is made.
However, in someone with osteoporosis this process is speeded up, so the bones become critically brittle - women are particularly vulnerable after the menopause because they have lower levels of bone-protecting oestrogen.
A serious condition
Ursula partying in London in 2004
In many cases, fractures are life-threatening: one in five women who fracture their hip as a result of osteoporosis die within six months.
The problem is that many women with the condition are going undiagnosed. And even in those cases that are detected, many, like Ursula, don't take their medication - with serious results.
Ursula was unaware of how serious the disease could be when it was detected during a routine health check eight years ago.
A scan revealed the bones in her hips were showing early signs of weakening, but she disregarded the diagnosis. As she says, she wasn't an obvious candidate for osteoporosis, being physically fit and eating calcium-rich foods.
'I have always been sporty and done lots of exercise,' says Ursula, who has one son Dimitri, 28, from her relationship with actor Harry Hamlin.
'I have never smoked, I've always eaten well, including dairy, and drink wine only with a meal. And while my mother had a hip replacement, she didn't fracture a hip to my knowledge and she lived to be 96.
'True, I was post-menopausal, but otherwise had none of the risk factors. I didn't think someone like me - a former Bond girl who from 7am until late is go, go, go, who eats well and walks miles every day - would get this disease.
'Foolishly, I refused to take the diagnosis seriously. The doctor told me to take a daily pill to help stop my bones from getting any weaker and to take calcium to help keep the bones strong.
'But I am the world's worst pill-taker and always have been. About four years ago, I was in India and caught pneumonia. I pleaded with the doctor to give me the shortest dose of antibiotics possible because I knew otherwise I wouldn't finish the course.
'With the osteoporosis pills, I would think: "I will take it later" - and it would get later and later, and days passed without me taking the medication.
'Within a few months I gave up altogether and just took calcium when I remembered. I thought I would be fine, especially as I had no pain and was still swimming and walking miles every day, which I thought would keep my bones strong.
'Besides, by drinking a bit more milk and eating a bit more cheese I thought my bones would improve.
'I was totally wrong. By not taking my medication I have put myself at great risk.'
Wake-up call
Earlier this year, Ursula had her first full medical since her diagnosis and was horrified by what the doctors had told her. A scan found that her bones had deteriorated greatly.
'The doctor told me that unless I took my medicine, I would definitely fracture my hip within the next few years,' she says. 'Even a stumble would be enough for this to happen.
'It was a total wake-up call for me. I've always been so healthy, and the idea that just going about my day-to-day life could put me at risk was a real shock.
'Bones don't heal themselves with a sticking plaster; this was serious. That scared me a lot.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1079213/My-bones-like-glass-Why-Bond-Girl-Ursula-Andress-blames-ravaged-osteoporosis.html#ixzz1c1ZdZxfu
