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Page 5 of 9
Tom Murphy,
September 10, 2007
The so-called "health
nazis" appear to be taking over, and the outcome may not be all
bad. Nobody likes a fitness freak who brags about how many miles they run on
fuel of wheat germ and soy milk. But a little peer pressure may be a good thing
when we encourage those around us to exercise more, eat smaller portions and use
some common sense in fighting the ongoing war against obesity. Four
out of five baby boomers are overweight, and two-thirds of them are
trying to do something about it. We can help with some positive feedback. Some
companies and candidates
want to force people to be healthy, but that's like forcing an alcoholic not to
drink. The choice must come from within. And, let's face it, most people would
choose to be a bit lighter.
Cathie Ramey,
August 25, 2007
Do you remember the first time you had a brain glitch? When you couldn't remember what to call something you used
every day? I do. Believe me, the first few times I couldn't recall a friend's name in conversation, I
panicked over the prospect of developing Alzheimer's. A professor I know once observed that forgetting what you had for breakfast is no big
deal. It's forgetting that you had breakfast that you have to worry about. Then he laughed and
noted that remembering you ate breakfast, really isn't that important. The Alzheimer's we see in older family members is generally the product of living a very long time and if it appears, it usually does so when we reach our
mid-80s. So here's a simple thought: let's relax and strive to challenge and stretch our
minds every day. Dance, take classes, learn new skills, enjoy living, and most of all spend time with the people
you love. Remember, the memories we may live to forget are created by today's meaningful experiences.
P.A. MacLean,
August 19, 2007
Let’s put into perspective the news
reports that the Food and Drug Administration new drug approvals has
slowed. In the late 1980s, the FDA was
being pushed by AIDS patients demanding faster drug approvals and politicians
who didn't want to spend more to review new drug applications. This led to enactment of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act at the close
of the first Bush Administration. It
required the pharmaceutical industry to pay FDA scientists to review the new
drug applications. Yes, FDA scientists’
salaries are dependent on the very industry they oversee. In 2004, came the news that Vioxx, in use five years, increased stroke
risks. The FDA faced new criticism that
its drug
safety surveillance program was broken. In
September, that 1991 user fee law will be up for a five-year renewal. So Congress must either rubber stamp the existing fee system or reform
it. Keep watching.
Tom Murphy,
August 9, 2007
It's been more than a decade since my friend Donna died from breast cancer.
Her then-young daughters are now beautiful high school students. Her devoted
husband married a wonderful woman, whose four children got a great dad in the
bargain. But the pain remains, and I still wish Donna could have had a second
chance. So it is with some wonderment that I read Cecily
O'Connor's story about women who beat their breast cancer, but then
failed to learn or do all they could to prevent a recurrence. That is so sad. I
have another friend who survived breast cancer and she is the very model of
someone who did all the right things to fight the disease and to remain healthy
ever since. She divorced her husband, pursued a high-powered career, watched
her son grow handsome and graduate from college, and now she travels around the
world in semi-retirement. My friend Donna didn't get that second chance. Women
who did shouldn't treat it lightly.
P.A. MacLean,
August 6, 2007
We’ve got a drug problem. The United
Nation’s 2007 World Drug Report says Afghanistan - secured by the US and
its allies - supplies more than 90 percent of the world’s opium. The report is
emblematic of failed security and continued economic need.The UN notes opium production has bounced back from near zero during the
waning years of the Taliban, when it was banned by the radical Islamic regime.
The Bush administration
throws money at eradication - $475 million this year, $420 million last
year. The Taliban took a different approach. It banned opium growing, plowed
under crops, paraded its farmers in public and, some reports say, imposed death
penalties for opium crimes. But the warlords regained control of opium-rich
regions by supporting the US invasion. And two years later, opium production was
nine times higher. This bodes ill for the future of a stable Afghanistan, and we
should just say “No.”
Tom Murphy,
August 1 2007
The Northern California summer is suited to cycling like few other
places on Earth. It has almost never rained between May and November. And with
temperatures ranging from a cool 60 in the early morning to a still-comfortable
85 in the afternoon, the weather alone makes for idea conditions, except in San
Francisco, where the notorious summer fog defies the very spirit of summer. But
in the redwood-covered hillsides just across the Golden Gate, cyclists can ride
carefree from village to village, testing themselves and finding time to think
critically about their lives and the world around them. And if they need more
time to ponder the universe, they'll find first-rate cafes all along their
route, eager to serve a cappuccino or pot of tea with panache. I often indulge
and now, I'm pleased to see, there is scientific evidence that caffeine and
exercise actually work together to substantially reduce
the risk of skin cancer. That's not to say you should toss the SPF 30;
that's still de riggeur for anyone heading out in the mid-day sun. But
for the bicycling boulevardiers of Northern California, the roads of
summer just got a little smoother.
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