This press release from ABC News's John Stossel announced his scheduled one-hour show for Friday, March 8, 2009 -- with the final paragraph mentioning his interview of ACSH's Dr. Ruth Kava:
This Friday at 10 p.m. ET, I have another "20/20" special, "You Can't Even Talk About It." We tackle touchy taboos, like:
Search results
The ACSH staff would like to offer a seat at the breakfast table to Peggy Northrop, editor in chief of Reader s Digest, for her refreshing interview with Dr. Manny Alvarez on yesterday s edition of Fox s Health Talk.
ACSH staffers are generally disinclined to dignify frivolous Internet gossip with recognition, but in the case of a natural cosmetics peddler s recent blog post attacking synthetic chemicals in cosmetics, which has been getting some undeserved attention, we figured we d point a few things out before it gets out of hand. This shouldn t be too surprising. She s a salesperson for natural cosmetics, so she has to spread rumors to sell her products, says ACSH s Jeff Stier.
The Endocrine Society is calling for the reduced use of bisphenol-A, a chemical used to harden plastics that is frequently and erroneously accused of disrupting hormones. ACSH staffers agree with rigorous FDA studies that BPA poses no risk to humans in low doses.
In this case the endocrine society is completely wrong, says ACSH s Dr. Gilbert Ross. They re making a scientifically illegitimate statement, and it s profoundly disappointing. This is a poorly disguised restatement of the low-dose phenomenon, which has been repeatedly discredited as a threat to humans.
ACSH staffers are doubly impressed with the FDA today. Regulators have advised parents to continue medicating their children for ADHD despite the risk of sudden death suggested by a study that used questionable methods.
This is a legitimate benefit-risk analysis by the FDA, says ACSH s Dr. Gilbert Ross. The study [to which they are reacting] used dubious methods and argued from inconclusive data. The FDA should be applauded for saying that this is not a cause and effect study and parents should not change their children s drug regimen.
Be afraid, be very afraid, if you love to eat prunes or dried pears -- at least if you believe the hype about naturally occurring acrylamide in foods being a real risk to human health. Swiss scientists reported at a symposium held by the American Chemical Society that acrylamide can be found in some dried fruits. Since 2002, when Swedish scientists discovered that acrylamide is formed in carbohydrate-containing food cooked at high temperatures, there has been a concerted effort to scare consumers about foods such as French fries and potato chips.
This piece first appeared in the New York Post.
Get your plastic grocery bags while you can. By Earth Day, that is, Tuesday, the national chain Whole Foods Market will no longer offer shoppers plastic bags -- leaving consumers who don't want reusable canvas bags one choice: paper.
Unfortunately, paper has its own drawbacks, such as: it's preferred by cockroaches -- like those contributing to New York City's asthma epidemic.
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that moderate alcohol consumption, defined as one or two glasses of wine a day or the equivalent amounts of beer or other alcoholic beverages, significantly reduces the risk of death from any cause in those who already suffered from circulatory problems such as angina, heart attack, or stroke.
Jeff Stier's New York Post piece "9/11 Junk Science" inspired negative letters and a critical response from U.S.
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.
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.
A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco identifies what could be indicators as to whether a patient’s ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS, a non-invasive breast cancer lesion) will progress to invasive breast cancer.
New York, NY -- September 10, 2009. In late July, a study commissioned by the United Kingdom s Food Standards Authority found that there was no nutritional difference between organic and conventional food. This is consistent with prior studies, but the organic food industry has convinced many people that their products are more nutritious because they contain a little more vitamin C (about 10% on average), a lot less nitrate, and varying percentages of higher antioxidant concentrations.
ACSH staffers offer a seat at the ACSH Dispatch table to journalist Lawrence Meyers for speaking out against the alarmist cosmetic scares spread by Siobhan O Connor and Alexandra Sprunt, authors of the book No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate
Some House Democrats this week proposed giving the FDA new powers to inspect overseas drug plants, following the deaths of dozens in 2008 from the contaminated blood-thinner heparin produced in China by Baxter International.
An investigative report that appeared over the weekend in The New York Times reveals how the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been funding a marketing agency designed to get Americans to eat more cheese while simultaneously urging people to eat less saturated fat.
Kansas State University nutrition professor Marc Haub’s infamous “Twinkie” diet challenges the notion of “junk” food — he lost twenty-seven pounds and lowered his BMI by four points in two months by eating Hostess, Little Debbie, and other convenience store snacks for meals.
Advocacy group Food & Water Watch argues that consumers need more food labeling so they can know what poisonous ingredients may be in their food — specifically, their chicken. On Tuesday, advocates in Maryland rallied against the use of chicken feed and medicines containing arsenic, which the poultry industry defends as a safe and effective means of stimulating growth, promoting chicken health, and producing the pinker meat consumers prefer.
Following a probe last week by the Tampa Tribune that found some reusable grocery bags manufactured in China contained “concerning” levels of lead, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is requesting further federal investigation of the bag’s lead content.
The excessive and improper use of antibiotics has contributed to the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria, yet doctors are still prescribing antibiotics for ear infections when pressured by parents — which is not only unnecessary but expensive.
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.”
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.
The British Medical Journal reports that people who do not practice good dental hygiene are at increased risk for heart disease. Gum infections seem to add to the inflammatory burden on individuals, increasing cardiovascular risk, the researchers say, Webmd reports.
This BMJ study is now part of a growing body of evidence linking poor dental hygiene with increased risk of systemic disease, says Dr. Whelan.
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is revamping the government’s popular food pyramid, with new recommendations emphasizing plant-based diets with plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk products and a reduction in daily sodium intake. The committee now recommends consuming no more than 1,500 mg of sodium; the current standard is 2,300 mg.
Pagination
ACSH relies on donors like you. If you enjoy our work, please contribute.
Make your tax-deductible gift today!