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.â€
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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