Regulations for large businesses only - small is beautiful

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 regulation. Thus milk producers,

meat, eggs and other small scale agricultural production could thrive
again and give much needed boost to non urban lifestyles. The buffalo
commons would fade away.

If you doubt, remember the largest milk induced food poisoning was the
infamous 200,000 patient outbreak of Salmonella gastroenteritis due to
transport of fully pasteurized, cold refigerated liquid Schwan ice cream
in a tanker that had carried liquid eggs on the prior trip. Small
production has inherent safeguards. We all remember the million pound
beef recalls when E Coli contaminantion of mega facilities with their
mega containers makes the news.
Smallness protects us.

Urban Assaults and increased railroad noise

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.

Our towns are noisier. Highway noise has increased. We drive more and bigger vehicles at higher speeds. Noise promotes urban sprawl that adds to the noise.

One man's noise however is another’s productivity. Who can be blamed for using the fastest tool to get the job done? Time is money. Quiet is expensive. The cost though does not fall on the one who makes the noise.

So what has increased this summer as dramatically as assaults?

It is the super long and loud railroad crossing whistles. This summer Bismarck-Mandan citizens have been treated to the new corporate sought rule that requires RAILROAD WHISTLES to be blown for 15 seconds MINIMUM at each crossing.

Many sleep with windows open. They suffer the most. We can close our eyes but not our ears. Brain wave electrical recordings have proven that we hear everything even in sleep. We may not know it, but sleep is disturbed by abnormal or loud sounds.

The whistles blow night and day.

Could increased noise and sleep deprivation make people violent? Yes!

Noise is cumulative. The louder, longer railroad whistles may be the straw that break's the camel's back. Urgent thought needs to be given to measures to control noise. Email BNSF at lynn.hartley@bnsf.com . I have.

There may be other causes. Maybe economic pressures have increased in our low wage state due to increased energy costs.

A citywide task force appointed by our Mayors and Police Chiefs to look into and control assaults is warranted before they become epidemic.

Our health and our quality of life depend on it.

Overweight moms=overweight babies

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

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 add to studies on overweight in middle-aged and older populations by providing insight into the impact of adolescent overweight on adult mortality," said Rob van Dam, a research scientist in the Department of Nutrition at HSPH and lead author of the study.

Some previous studies had looked at the relationship between being overweight in childhood and adolescence and premature death in adulthood, but those studies tended to look at older cohorts (people born before 1945), in which few participants were overweight during their youth and the majority had smoked.

Van Dam and his colleagues examined data from 102,400 female nurses in the Nurses' Health Study II, a prospective study launched in 1989. At that time, study participants, all aged 24 to 44, reported their current height and weight and their weight at age 18. Researchers calculated body mass index (BMI)--weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. Participants also answered questions in a number of other areas, including disease history, alcohol consumption, smoking and exercise. Follow-up questionnaires were sent to participants until July 1, 2001, or to the date of death, whichever came first.

The results showed that women with a higher BMI at 18 consumed more alcohol, smoked more and were less likely to engage in vigorous physical activity during adolescence.

During the 12-year follow-up period (1989-2001), in which 710 participants died, the HSPH researchers found that women with a higher BMI at age 18 had a higher risk of dying prematurely. That was true for even moderately overweight adolescents. Associations between overweight and premature mortality were similar for women who were younger and older than 40 during follow-up. Major causes of death included cancer (258 deaths) and cardiovascular disease (55 deaths); of the deaths due to external causes (144 deaths), suicide was the most common cause (61 deaths).

The researchers also found that women with a low BMI at age 18 did not have an increased risk of mortality. This finding contrasts with several recent studies, in which both a low and high BMI in middle-aged and older adults was associated with excess mortality. However, at older ages, a low BMI may reflect lifelong smoking habits or weight loss as a result of diseases, which may bias associations between BMI and mortality.

To adjust for smoking, van Dam and his colleagues looked at the results for women who never smoked. They found the same results--women with a higher BMI during adolescence who never smoked had a significantly increased risk of premature death than those with a low BMI. Another key finding was that BMI at age 18 was a strong predictor of BMI in 1989 when women were, on average, 34 years old. Still, BMI in 1989 only partly explained the association between BMI at age 18 and premature death. In other words, being overweight as an adult couldn't fully explain why women died prematurely. Health effects of overweight that are specific to younger ages, differences in location of fat deposition, or long-term exposure to metabolic effects of overweight may explain this finding.

Past studies have also shown that overweight children and adolescents have higher risks of cardiovascular problems and chronic diseases. The results of this study, which show a risk of premature death for younger and middle-aged women, are in line with these findings. "This paper underscores the importance of efforts to prevent excessive weight gain in children, not only to prevent obesity but also to prevent moderate overweight," said Frank Hu, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH and a co-author of the study. "Given the prevalence of overweight, large-scale preventive strategies aimed at increasing physical activity and stimulating healthy eating habits in U.S. children and adolescents are warranted."

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu

Laws for the Common Good, Letter to Editor, Bismarck Tribune, July 27,06.

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.

Maybe our city commission will go the Chicago City Council one better and ban transfat oils at all restaurants, at cafeterias in schools, colleges and workplaces and in food served to patients in nursing homes and hospitals.

Healthy kids, healthy moms, healthy dads, a healthy Bismarck.

What’s wrong with that?

(Seth is a local physician. — Editor.)

Diabetes is like adding 15 years to your age!- say no to sugar loaded pop/ trans fats

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.

E Coli, She Coli, He Coli NO M-E Coli

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 1- 2 a year and total cases of food borne Botulism have been a median of 24 a year in ALL of USA. 42% of food borne Botulism cases from 1976 to 1984 were restaurant acquired according to the Center for Disease Control website I reviewed for this article.

LISTERIOSIS
As far as Listeriosis the mini treatise was WRONG. Home canning as a cause of listeriosis must be quite rare. I found no mention on it at a CDC website Nor at the Agricultural Research Service, the FDA websites nor in a 15 min Google search. This bacteria is killed at 75 degrees Celsius, well below the boiling point of water, so home canning is not an issue. Listeria multiplies after refrigeration. Cold cuts of meat are a big issue with Listeria. See article from Time magazine excerpted below.

This is what the FDA says( http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap6.html) -L. monocytogenes has been associated with such foods as raw milk, supposedly pasteurized fluid milk, cheeses (particularly soft-ripened varieties), ice cream, raw vegetables, fermented raw-meat sausages, raw and cooked poultry, raw meats (all types), and raw and smoked fish. Its ability to grow at temperatures as low as 3°C permits multiplication in refrigerated foods.

FOOD POISONING
Cases of food poisoning have increased in the USA since the 70’s.The numbers of outbreaks though has NOT changed in the private home but has increased 500% in the restaurant setting between 1973 and 1999. ((http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03530.pdf, Fig 4 page 55.)
Why?
From careful reading and experience it is clear it is first because of concentration in ownership of sale and manufacture of food and because of concentration in agriculture processes such as meat and dairy production and the increasing importation of fruits and vegetables from countries with poor hygiene. Inspection by our Government is curtailed due to corporate pressure and political influence buying. See March 3, 2003 Time Magazine Vol. 161 No.9 -- CAN COLD CUTS KILL? THE USDA MAY BE DRAGGING ITS FEET ON INSPECTIONS AND FAVORING THE INDUSTRY Michael Weisskopt
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030303-426039,00.html
Also numbers of inspectors is reduced as increasing budget deficits from tax cuts strain local budgets, weakening our government’s watchdog role. Concentration has also resulted in a poorer labor force at mega poultry and meat-processing plants, often locked in to get the most out of them. Conditions are deplorable. The answer to this contamination has been more antibiotics for the animals and lately X Ray nuclear irradiation of meats as well as certain imported food and fruits. We suffer not only more food poisoning but in more resistant bacteria around and on us.
A second reason is increased and indiscriminate use, primarily in the last two decades, of medicines that shut off the stomach acid making the stomach much more hospitable to bacteria. As this acid is shut off our God given food sterilizer, our stomachs, no longer do that work. No wonder contamination of food with smaller numbers of food poisoning bacteria causes disease.
A third reason, especially for the dramatic 500% increase in outbreaks at restaurants, is the poorly paid workforce with rapid turnover at franchise restaurants. This results in low morale and inadequate training. In Bismarck I have noticed that many fast food places have a permanent help wanted sign outside. There has always been one at McDonald's on Tyler Parkway near my home with cool messages to attract the minimum wage, no living wage, child laborers our state and nation's laws permit.

The fourth reason is clearly non intuitive. Use of plastic gloves has been pushed at street fairs, restaurants and cafeterias in schools and hospitals, while logical, is a mistake. Our God given hands have oils on them with natural antibacterial activity. Gloves, machine made, have no such activity. Actually the opposite occurs as the increased moisture and warmth under the gloves provide a perfect incubator allowing bacteria to multiply and thrive. People wearing gloves also actually contaminate them more over time - they itch with their gloved hands and scratch without a thought the same places that contaminate our ungloved hands. Don't believe me. Next time stand afar and see for yourself.. Unfortunately a false sense of security exists in the glove wearer. Hand washing becomes a low priority.

The Solution

Solutions to some of societies' problems might in general lie in having a two tier system of regulation in certain biological systems. One for the individual, small scale producer be it agriculture, food, animal breeding and one for the corporate. mega producer of the same. In biological systems, where small mistakes tend to be magnified, large scale production should be actively discouraged.

Small producers sell locally and are vulnerable to damage to their reputations. Their customers know them and often their family. Small producers are thus directly accountable to the people. Government is not needed nor is the courts as the small have a healthy regard for the power of both. Large corporations with their public relation machines and lawyers know they can wriggle out of damage from bad practices or tie up any punitive fines in court. They are increasingly unaccountable to the people, to their government, to their courts. More regulations have been proposed. Regulations have not been the answer. Regulations only work under a system of strong inspections and fines. All that regulations have achieved is to drive the small producer out. The mega corporations thrive. Big gets bigger. With impunity.

Some years ago a corporate food supplier was finally proved as the cause of more than a few hundred thousand cases of salmonella food poisoning. Their ice cream was contaminated. Many died nationally. A small producer would have closed up from loss of business. Or shame.
This corporation, like others with similar stories, is thriving. Corporations not being a person cannot have shame. Big gets bigger. Shamelessly.

Big corporations also shift costs - in manufactured food - at the expense of your health.
Transfats are a story for another day. Big gets bigger because we do not know.

In our rural state we could avoid contaminated meat from mega plants by connecting with local meat and dairy producers and local butchers in the rural areas. Some of this especially dairy is not legal at this time but if enough of us spoke up the law of our state would be changed. Why if they can sell cigarettes and tobacco with a little notation it could kill you can people not sell milk in our state with a much larger notation” Boil before use or you will get food poisoning." Rural prosperity could ensue.
Why not free the small meat producers( maybe 10- 20 cows slaughtered a month and equivalent poultry/pork/lamb/ostrich) and decentralize and truly deregulate meat production for the small seller/producer. This could knock out the strongest cause of food poisoning - centralized production.

Nobel Prize winning author E.F. Schumacher has written a beautiful book “Small is Beautiful, Economics as if People Mattered"

In the case of food, small indeed is beautiful.
Small has less pesticides,
Small has less antibiotics,
Small has less hormones,
Small is actually cheaper
Small uses less energy..
It is local. It is safer.
More people have meaningful work.

Please eat food we know, from people we know.
Because we matter. Our children matter. Our families matter. Our health matters.

Because we are what we eat. And drink.
People matter.
Corporations are not people.