The CDC released its Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, a list of chemicals found in blood and urine samples collected from participants in CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
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ACSH Trustee and Hoover Institution Fellow Dr. Henry Miller, a former FDA official, argues on Forbes.com that many dietary supplements are “complex, highly variable, and impure,” and that they should be more closely scrutinized.”
A study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience determined that when rats consume high-fat, high-calorie foods in great quantities, it leads to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction.
In addition to the fact that this is a rat study, it does not reflect the way that humans eat, says ACSH s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan. In fact, this study doesn t even reflect the eating habits of rats, so there s no way it could be a realistic model of human eating habits.
•In March 2010, venues noting ACSH included Christian Science Monitor ( http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0301/Obama-still-lighting-up-but-anti-... ), New York Times (a Dr. Ross comment on one of their blogs, about smokeless tobacco), Forbes.com (a Dr. Ross comment on BPA), Wall Street Journal online (a Dr.
Jeff Stier's New York Post piece "9/11 Junk Science" inspired negative letters and a critical response from U.S.
A research study and editorial published today in the journal Pediatrics suggests that R.J. Reynolds Camel Orbs and similar dissolvable tobacco products will appeal to young children because they resemble candy. The study s lead researcher, Dr.
The Washington Post reports that the Food and Drug Administration is planning an "unprecedented effort" to reduce Americans' salt intake by mandating that food manufacturers use less sodium. The FDA claims it needs no additional authority from Congress to gradually "phase-down" sodium levels in nearly every type of processed food.
The European Chemicals Agency will expand its list of Substances of Very High Concern from the current 29 to a total of 135 by the year 2012, in accordance with Europe’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.
Science News reports, Two chemicals that are becoming widely used replacements for potentially toxic flame retardants in household products such as televisions and furniture have shown up in peregrine falcon eggs in California.
The FDA has assembled a panel to study mentholated cigarettes and advise on how the government should regulate them. The panel’s recommendations are expected by next March.
“The menthol issue is very complex, both economically and medically,” says ACSH’s Dr. Gilbert Ross. “A few months ago, I thought it was a slam dunk that the FDA would ban it because of the members of the committee, but the more I’ve read on the issue, the more I believe that there’s no scientific evidence for banning menthol.”
A study published in the journal Archives of Neurology suggests that a diet rich in olive oil, nuts, fish, poultry, and certain fruits and vegetables may help stave off Alzheimer’s disease.
New guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology seek to help family members of dementia patients gauge when their loved one is no longer capable of driving.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the voluntary recall of several models of hockey sticks that have paint containing lead levels in excess of the federal standard.
A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology based on data for over 2.4 million Canadians shows that for every 1% increase in colonoscopy use, the risk of death from colon cancer dropped 3%.
According to the New York Post, The controversial fat tax Gov. Paterson hopes to resurrect in budget talks this week could hike the price of powdered drink mixes such as Kool-Aid, Gatorade, and iced tea by nearly double.
The Washington State Senate is expected to pass a tax package that includes a sales tax on candy.
A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute investigated the claim that eating fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer, concluding, A very small inverse association between intake of total fruits and vegetables and cancer risk was observed in this study. Given the small magnitude of the observed associations, caution should be applied in their interpretation.
Research published online today in the journal Health Affairs indicates that low taxes on soda have no effect on consumption, though high taxes probably would.
This should not be a surprise, says Stier. However, a soda tax that is high enough to reduce consumption would not be politically viable.
ACSH’s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan this morning joined a Hartford, Conn. talk radio program to discuss the claims that the chemical BPA in can linings and plastic products is hazardous to health.
Raising the specter of “endocrine disruption” is always a good way to promote anxiety and concern, as the National Workgroup for Safe Markets must know very well.
It used to be that when the Federal government wanted to encourage states and cities to adhere to certain policies, they'd offer grants with strings attached. Highway funds, for example, are available only if states enforce federally mandated blood alcohol levels, as well as a drinking age of twenty-one.
Today, however, all pretenses are out the window, and the Obama administration is taking taxpayer money and sending it directly to local governments and non-profits to lobby on behalf of nanny-state policies.
Dr. Whelan took to the airwaves last night to discuss fluoride on the international Manchester Radio Online.
“Manchester Radio Online is aired all over the world,” says Dr. Whelan, “so the show has a lot of exposure. I offered a sound defense of water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and also to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Water fluoridation is not only safe, it is probably one of the top three public health measures of the last century. Still, you should have seen some of the hateful emails that came in response to this discussion.”
The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer completed a decade-long analysis of over 10,000 cell phone users and could not find a clear link between cell phone use and brain cancer risk.
“This is the largest cell phone study of its kind ever done, and the researchers said we still can’t be sure whether or not using a cell phone increases the risk of brain cancer,” says Stier. “How many studies that show no such link do we need before we can be sure? It’s a health scare that just won’t die.”
The Washington Post reports, “In a direct response to Michelle Obama's declared war on childhood obesity, an alliance of major food manufacturers on Monday pledged to introduce new, more healthful options, cut portion sizes and trim calories in existing products.”
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