Archive for May 6th, 2009

Steroids Hysteria
by John Stossel

With the return of baseball and a new book on Alex Rodriguez released this week, a fresh round of congressional posturing about steroids is upon us.

Why is it Congress’s business?

I asked U.S. Reps. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., about that for my next TV special, “Don’t Even Think about Saying That!,” which will air this Friday on ABC.

“This is part of our duty,” Cummings says, “to protect the American people.” Steroids are “a serious public-health problem.”

Stearns added, “Teenagers commit suicide.”

And Congress will fix it all.

Of course, people like Dr. Gary Wadler testify in Congress that steroids do horrible things.

“The threat is dying! The threat is suicide!” Wadler told me.
I’d heard such scary claims for years. Death by steroids. “Roid rage” worthy of after-school specials.
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You Are What You Eat – But Also What It Was Packaged In

Study: Grease-resistant paper exposes humans to chemicals that have been linked to problems with reproduction and development, the immune system and the liver.

The green food movement, at its most basic level, boils down to this old adage: “You are what you eat.” That’s why so many people avoid foods with pesticide residue, foods that were grown with fertilizers derived from fossil fuels, foods derived from genetically modified seeds or genes, milk or meat from animals pumped up with hormones or antibiotics….

While we can look for a “USDA Organic” and other reputable labels to find those foods grown to our standards, now it seems we should also consider the packaging that bears the label.
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Restaurant Industry to Show Calories on Menus

Eighteen major catering companies, including many high street brands, will introduce calorie information on their menus for the first time.

The list of trailblazers, announced today by Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo and the Food Standards Agency will start displaying calorie information from the end of April. The list includes workplace caterers, sit down and quick-service restaurants, theme parks and leisure attractions, pub restaurants, cafes and sandwich chains. This will benefit individuals and families who are trying to choose a healthier diet.
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