Ten things about health we ought to have dialogue about and don't

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Wednesday June 23, 2010 · 2:30 PM PDT

2010/06/23 · 14:30

I am frustated by the fact America talks about health care but doesn't have a dialogue about the things that make nation healthy. Maybe it's because things like health equity and social justice are anti-American values and communist? Nothing could further from the truth. I don’t know if Congress has been paying attention but in April of 2010 many retired military commanders referred to our epidemic of childhood obesity as a national security threat. Nothing has changed in our health or food policies. Movies like Food Inc. and King Corn have raised social awareness of what's going on in food supply but nothing has changed much. Michelle Obama says things must happen from the grassroots up. Does the information get to the grassroots to create the fertile ground needed for change? Not at present.

Poll

34 votes Show Results

How hard will the obesity fight be?

34 votes Vote Now!

How hard will the obesity fight be?

It just calories in, calories out

4 votes

We will have revitalize our public health system and educate society

22 votes

Utilitarian choices will have to made

3 votes

Don't know.

2 votes

Other.

3 votes

What I learned about life researching the obesity epidemic...

Ndaniels33

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Thursday June 17, 2010 · 6:46 PM PDT

2010/06/17 · 18:46

What I learned about life researching the obesity epidemic... and why what I learned might change EVERYTHING... for better or worse. This diary entry might be the start of a book. I don't know. I am not that good of a writer but I do have something to write about. Maybe that all I need.
I started researching the obesity epidemic in the summer of 2006. I thought I would try to figure out why if everyone was saying obesity so preventable why then aren't we have any luck combating it. I found out. Somedays I wish I never knew.
It is not a matter of calories in/calories out. This were calories in/calories out the fight against obesity would be over. The most troubling aspect of the epidemic is childhood obesity. This might be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.

Poll

53 votes Show Results

Is Obesity a Political Problem?

53 votes Vote Now!

Is Obesity a Political Problem?

Yes

28 votes

Maybe

8 votes

16 votes

A great quote from Marion Nestle's Food Politics

Ndaniels33

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Saturday June 12, 2010 · 7:34 PM PDT

2010/06/12 · 19:34

I thought this was a great quote by Anthro June 11, 2010 9:38 for discussion:

We (as a country) are in a sad state of affairs with a Supreme Court that, by one vote, is able to grant personhood to corporations and speech rights to snake oil salesmen.

Would it be useful to revisit the 1994 statute that started a lot of this? Is there a member of congress who might be interested in this? It’s safe to say the Harkin, Hatch, Paul and some others would fight it, but still.....there must be some who are more interested in science.

My children are long grown up, but I stopped in the baby food aisle the other day... and was shocked to the core at the array of idiotic products for babies and toddlers. I guess they want to get them hooked as soon as possible. Doesn’t the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens trump the right of corporations to profit from "consumers"? I guess it’s a rhetorical question

Ndaniels33

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Saturday January 17, 2009 · 10:00 AM PST

2009/01/17 · 10:00

President Bush is amazing in his cherry picking through the evidence supporting his claim he did the right thing by breaking international law. He will always claim he was right even the consequences of his actions like his record remain yet to seen and felt. IF one American, citizen or soldier is tortured then President Bush attempts to keep Americans safe failed. We WERE the standard for nations to look up to now we are looked down upon by our freinds. We look can't dictaorships in the eye and say we are NOT like you because THEY KNOW WE ARE LIKE THEM. Americans broke with the Geneva Convention on the orders of President Bush.

Poll

63 votes Show Results

Will Bush be held accountable?

63 votes Vote Now!

Will Bush be held accountable?

Yes

20 votes

43 votes

Food desert: are you living in one?

Ndaniels33

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Thursday January 08, 2009 · 2:48 PM PST

2009/01/08 · 14:48

Do you live in food desert where some people have no access to healthy foods do transportation or income? In many ways the loss of job or car put us all in food desert (unless you live next to a supermarket).

The term "food desert" was reputedly first used by a resident of a public sector housing scheme in the west of Scotland in the early 1990s. It first appeared in a government publication in a 1995 document from a policy working group of the Low Income Project Team of the then Conservative government's Nutrition Task Force. The term has been used increasingly by academics, policy makers, and community groups to describe populated urban areas where residents do not have access to an affordable and healthy diet. Government reports have said that food deserts may damage public health by restricting the availability and affordability of foods that may benefit health. These reports have influenced several policy recommendations designed to promote adequate retail provision of food for those with a low income or who live in poor neighbourhoods. The reports have aimed to identify best practice and innovative approaches to improving shopping access in such neighbourhoods. BMJ 2002;325(7361):436 (24 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7361.436

Poll

48 votes Show Results

Do you live in a food desert or have food insecurity?

48 votes Vote Now!

Do you live in a food desert or have food insecurity?

Yes, I do because of income and transportation

2 votes

Yes, I do because income

2 votes

Yes I do because of transportation issues

1 vote

Yes, I do because of a lack of healthy choices locally

1 vote

Yes I do because of cooking facilities

0 votes

No, I don't.

34 votes

Maybe.

8 votes

Drink To Being Unhealthy: Public Health and the American Beverage Association

Ndaniels33

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Tuesday December 16, 2008 · 1:37 PM PST

2008/12/16 · 13:37

I am reviewing 3 science papers on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). All 3 say HFCS raises triglycerides. They just don't agree about the differences between sucrose and HFCS. This means no regulation on HFCS. And what is PepsiCo doing funding two of these studies? What is worse? Coke has a relationship with the National Heart Blood and Lung Institute. Why is Coke having a relationship with the arm of the National Institute of Health investigating heart disease when HFCS raises triglycerides? What is a candy company doing (like Cadbury/Schweppes) doing underwriting childhood obesity conferences like the one I attended in August 2006 in Des Moines? I think is called astro-turfing? Astro-turfing is when corporations make corporation interests look grassroots. If these companies are protecting their corporate interests then competition not collusion should be the name of the game. Together Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Cadbury make a formidable group called the America Beverage Association. It could even be call a racket. It seems though I have uncovered a great public health bait and switch on the part America's beverage producers and the Bush Administration. Gary Taubes in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories wrote there are only 5 studies on HFCS being done. WHY? Coke?

Poll

44 votes Show Results

Is NHBLI and Coke relationship a conflict of interest?

44 votes Vote Now!

Is NHBLI and Coke relationship a conflict of interest?

Yes

34 votes

Maybe depends on the science

3 votes

No, it is diet

1 vote

No, we are United States of Coca- Cola.

6 votes

Who is defending freedom and us? Not BUSH!

Ndaniels33

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Wednesday December 03, 2008 · 7:51 PM PST

2008/12/03 · 19:51

For eight years, President Bush sought more power and control over while professing to support freedom. Freedom means less control. Freedom was too messy for the Republican Party. According to F. A. von Hayek no single entity is capable managing a complex interconnected network (like the United States). Economies are information exchanges. When you control the information (like science) in society; one runs the risk of a system failure like we have now. President Bush and the Republican Party own this huge failure and the messy consequences. They assumed the power to regulate science, push religion and spread ignorance like a plague upon our houses. Democracy only works when people are informed. People have not been told the truth. Machiavellianism and government by public relations have been used to devastating effect. With President Obama we are going to get to the truth and people aren’t going to like what they hear. Corporations will play "shoot the messenger" both figuratively and perhaps literally! What happens when industry shoots down the truth? We suffer. Corporations are ideas. Ideas don’t bleed get sick or die like we, the people, do.

Ndaniels33

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Wednesday November 12, 2008 · 1:22 PM PST

2008/11/12 · 13:22

In the forward to Shannon French's book "The Code of the Warrior" John McCain wrote the following paragraph people need to ponder in their post election bliss or sorrow:

"I have always found that most difficult choices between honor and dishonor occur when no one is watching. For a politican, that presents something of a dilemma. We like to have our virtue affirmed in the public spotlight. But no matter how clever you are in crafting a public image of integrity, if it is a false image, the truth will emerge, and usually sooner than expected." - Senator John McCain

It is very hard to live an honest integral life with compassion and understanding for one's fellow man. And being the head of government for 300 million people, it is even more important. People lives are on the recieving end of their government's policy. We pay for our government's sins.

Ndaniels33

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Monday October 20, 2008 · 11:53 AM PDT

2008/10/20 · 11:53

I have been blogging about health issues on Daily Kos. I am trying to draw people’s attention to some really serious stuff. No surprise to Kos readers the Bush Administration plays gatekeeper with science. Few people understand what President Bush, the GOP and their corporate cronies have been doing to seriously harm science and the public health. I am going to explain it as best I can.
The case of methyl mercury is a finest example of the people not understanding emerging science well enough to make an informed decision about social policy matters concerning their health. Most people see coal fired power plants as a global warming issue. I am going beyond global warming and looking at this issue as a public health concern. Both asthma and methyl mercury are public health problems associated with coal fired power plant emissions. Is the short need for power worth the long term health cost to Iowa? I hope to stir up a good policy debate.
My main concern in this blog is Iowa's fish stock and methyl mercury. Burning more coal will mean more mercury. Iowa Department Natural Resourcesregularly test for mercury levels in Iowa fish. Here's a thought: What if there is no safe level of methyl mercury?

Poll

23 votes Show Results

Whose energy policy should America follow?

23 votes Vote Now!

Whose energy policy should America follow?

Obama

21 votes

McCain

2 votes

If this is democracy's last stand, may we make it our best.

Ndaniels33

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday October 19, 2008 · 5:45 PM PDT

2008/10/19 · 17:45

I have been watching video clips (like Michele Bachman's interview with Chris Matthews) How do Republicans talk like this? Such cognitive dissonance must be caused by drugs, a brain disorder or maybe something much more sinister (like the devil)? Republicans are God fearing people. Maybe I am evil? I fear Republicans more than God right now. People at McCain rallies have been making death threats against a sitting U.S. Senator and man running for President.
Oh, where has my nation gone? If McCain gets elected I fear for my freedom, my life and my family. All forfeit. My fears are rational. I am tired of the drunken monkey style tongue fu designed to distort people's emotions into a mob of violence. Few of us have Secret Service protection. None us can afford absolute security.
I can't get letters to editor printed even though the facts are with me. I fear my last few Daily Kos posts could get me jailed or killed one day. McCain spells the death of common sense. I got out of the policy silos and put the unhealthy facts together like nobody else has. Now in this "Obama is a terrorist atmosphere" how do you I think feel? Intimidated! You are Daily Kos reader are one of the few means of stopping the madness.

Poll

48 votes Show Results

Are the GOP scare tactics working?

48 votes Vote Now!

Are the GOP scare tactics working?

Yes

14 votes

34 votes

My email to the Bush White House about childhood obesity and the awful reply I got back

Ndaniels33

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday October 17, 2008 · 1:18 PM PDT

2008/10/17 · 13:18

On December 28th, 2006 I sent an email about childhood obesity at the request of Trust of America's Health. Here are few of the e-mail's highlights: More than 9 million children are overweight or obese, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled from 5 to 17%. Being overweight or obese increases an individual's risk of developing 35 major diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. The direct and indirect costs add up to more than $117 billion dollars. Federal funding on chronic disease programs is less than $3 per capita less than a fast food meal. This obesity epidemic " threatens to make this the generation of Americans to live shorter and sicker lives than their parents!
The White House even bragged about spend less than $600 million dollars on anti-obesity efforts (about $2.57 per obese person). Then they tied in the movie "Shrek 3".
Tom Harkin noticed and so did I.

Poll

13 votes Show Results

Has Bush violated the law?

13 votes Vote Now!

Has Bush violated the law?

Yes

4 votes

Yes but he will never face justice

7 votes

Yes but he will pardoned

1 vote

What really ticks me off about the McCain/Palin health plan

Ndaniels33

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday October 16, 2008 · 2:05 PM PDT

2008/10/16 · 14:05

I remember the saying "Ambition without knowledge is like a boat on dry land." In this last debate McCain brought up his family's and his running mate's attention to special needs children. This is height of hypocrisy!I am not alone.
It really burns me up when McCain talks about diseases (like autism and obesity) and knows next to nothing about President Bush and the GOP's track record on health matters. President Bush is hazardous to your health. Legislation like the Data Quality Act are simplistic and deadly because they give the wrong people (corporations) wide latitude in suppressing science. If they don't like it is not real.
Social policy is health policy. Health is tied to the distribution of resources. McCain can't look at who has underwritten America's health education for the last eight years. Think of the worst possible people one could imagine deciding what health is and is not. Read on and gasp!

Poll

26 votes Show Results

Who health care plan gets closer what America needs?

26 votes Vote Now!

Who health care plan gets closer what America needs?

Obama

25 votes

McCain

1 vote

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Ten things about health we ought to have dialogue about and don't

What I learned about life researching the obesity epidemic...

A great quote from Marion Nestle's Food Politics

One man's response to President Bush's farewell

Food desert: are you living in one?

Drink To Being Unhealthy: Public Health and the American Beverage Association

Who is defending freedom and us? Not BUSH!

John McCain's greatest quote

Methyl mercury and coal fired power plants in Iowa

If this is democracy's last stand, may we make it our best.

My email to the Bush White House about childhood obesity and the awful reply I got back

What really ticks me off about the McCain/Palin health plan