Pasteurization was introduced in the 20th century because of the risk of Tuberculosis in cows infecting humans thru their milk. That risk is miniscule now. As has happened with other regulations the small producer(or in the case of Medicare- the solo physician) is unable to keep up. Benefits (profits) of scale lead to ever larger facilities and soon we end up with regulation induced ( malignant) growth throughout all enterprises food producing, food serving, food manufacture and even all human services too. The bottom line is all that matters. In milk production cows are fed whatever is cheap, and antibiotics and hormones are used as we all know.. What cows are fed in corporate milk factories is nauseating. If only they could talk. A solution out of this regulation induced rampant growth would be good. Small producers - and small can be whatever would provide a living wage for each able bodied person in the family enterprise- should be exempt from science driven well intentioned regula

SLEEPLESS (AND VIOLENT) IN BIS-MAN A front page story in the Bismarck Tribune noted a dramatic increase (45-100%) in assaults in Bismarck and Mandan this summer compared to last year. That is of concern. Why are more people settling disagreements in this way? Why is Bis-Man more violent this summer? Why are we less human, less civilized? Some say our population is up, some blame alcohol. Some say the police force needs to be bigger. Could increased noise be to blame? Behavioral scientists have clearly proven that increased violence accompanies increased noise exposure in both humans and animals. Noise increases rage. A major criterion that defines noise is that you have no control over it. It’s the lack of control that triggers a release of stress hormones. Thus I can blissfully mow my own lawn while my neighbor, trying to sleep, would find it intrusive and noisy. The Jet Ski is fine to the person riding it but not to the person quietly reading a book. Noise causes high blood pressure

A Harvard study shows America's obesity extends to its infants too.All in the space of two decades. The last year studied was 2001 and from my experience in my medical office obesity has made tremendous inroads the last 5 years so things could be even worse by now. Vinod Seth http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115525548877732835.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Impact of adolescent overweight on adult mortality Published: Sunday, 6-Aug-2006 BEING OVERWEIGHT AT 18 PREDICTS INCREASED MORTALITY AND HEALTH CARE COSTS TO COME! ALL PAYORS OF HEALTH CARE, PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT NEED TO WAKE UP TO THE HUGE COSTS IN THE YEARS TO COME FROM WHAT USED TO BE A GENERALLY HEALTHY POPULATION IN THE PAST. BABY BOOMERS AGING, THE YOUNG GETTING UNHEALTHIER DUE TO OBESITY FROM SUGAR LOADED DRINKS AND FAST/FRANCHISE TRANS FATS LADEN CHEAP FOOD AND ALWAYS-IN-THE-CAR-INACTIVITY --WE ARE IN FOR AN EXPLOSION IN COSTS FOR HEALTH CARE.VINOD SETH 8-7-06 Children and adolescents in the U.S. and around the world are becoming more overweight. A new study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) has found that there may be serious consequences to that trend. Researchers found that being overweight at age 18 is associated with an increased risk of premature death in younger and middle-aged women. The study appears in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "Our findings

Laws for the common good By VINOD SETH Bismarck The banner headline across the top of page 4A of our Bismarck Tribune on Tuesday declared, “Some Chicago laws starting to seem intrusive.” The AP byline story noted the crackdown by the Chicago City Council on “things they deem unhealthy ...” Apparently, the city council in the past year has passed laws banning “smoking in nearly all public places, use of cell phones while driving” and was now proposing to “restrict fast-food chains from cooking with artery clogging transfat oils.” Now what’s so intrusive about that? Even big business, tired of rapidly rising health costs from unhealthy food and sugary drinks, wants change. Only the fast-food giants who use transfat oils would find such laws intrusive. Not most people. It is why we elect our leaders, our government: to pass laws for the common good. We know about secondhand smoke. Driving while talking on the cell phone is like driving drunk. And transfats clog arteries. That’s proved. M

Lancet, the medical journal from the UK in a July 1 research article GL Booth from Univ of Torornto and others Lancet 368:July 1 29-36,2006 points out that having diabetes is like ageing 15 years.Earlier onset of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and coronary artery diseas in men and women. Another reason for no sugar loaded pop and trans fats laden fast food as well as the sit down franchise food restaurants.

FOOD OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE Fears about home canning already are great and now with a letter to the Editor on another two infectious agents these fears will be further fanned. More people will depend on canned goods shipped from low wage factories far away. More anxiety will be unnecessarily created. Our infection health will be no better. Our mental health could be worse. Many high sounding words, " research" and "scientific", and many numbers were used. This letter was full of factual errors, half-truths and equivocations. Please read on. BOTULISM Botulism as a disease is most often NOT a food borne illness. Yes, food borne botulism is a serious disease when it happens, but in 31 years, first in Infectious Disease Fellowship training at Washington University and then in practice both in St Louis and Bismarck in the specialty of Infectious disease I have not seen a single food borne case. Deaths, nationally due to food borne disease, number