News vs. Opinion
The natural-products community and nutritionally oriented practitioners are very familiar with media bias. For example, the press often reports that “dietary supplements are not regulated.”
03 Nov
2009
03 Nov
2009
Are Federal “Expert Panels” Essential to Overhauling the Nation’s Healthcare System?
We have previously written here about the ramifications of the economic stimulus bills that became law in February 2009. Putting aside the economic and security consequences of adding to the nation’s debt, let’s focus on the $1.1 billion for a Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) program, designed to determine which healthcare treatment options are most effective […]
03 Nov
2009
Alert: Healthcare Legislation — Last Chance to Get it Right!
Now that the House is set to debate the merged healthcare bill, we need to make sure they get it right!
03 Nov
2009
Hospital-Acquired Infections Linked to Nearly 100,000 Deaths Annually
Those following the debate over healthcare reform often hear that eliminating waste from the current healthcare system would, in large measure, fund reform. Given the number of dollars wasted, the lives lost and the suffering associated with sloppy healthcare, why do we drag our feet in improving our current system and reducing waste?
03 Nov
2009
FDA to Standardize Labeling of Food
Various labeling systems are currently being used by U.S. retailers and food makers to make nutritional claims. Barbara Schneeman, Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Office of Nutrition, Labeling and Dietary Supplements, recently sent an open letter to the food industry stating the agency’s intent to develop a new regulation to define “the nutritional criteria that […]
27 Oct
2009
Risks vs. Benefits
The public consciousness of risk vs. benefit was raised considerably with the media’s discussion of the benefits of taking a Cox II inhibitor (Celebrex and Vioxx) vs. the potential risks (Cox II inhibitors are linked to the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding as well to an increased risk of heart attack).
27 Oct
2009
47 Members of Congress Support Consumers’ Right to Choose Their Health Practitioners
The legislators have sent House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a letter proposing a ban on discrimination against integrative MDs, DOs, chiropractors and other well-trained and credentialed healthcare providers who have not previously been discriminated against under federal law. If discrimination is not forbidden, conventional licensed practitioners will try to use federal law, as they have […]
27 Oct
2009
Does the Safeway Amendment Address Workplace Wellness in a Financially Responsible Manner?
As the debate for healthcare reform continues inside the beltway, on the airwaves, and around many a dinner table and water cooler, how can we — a nation known for ingenuity and entrepreneurship — deliver quality care for a reasonable price? Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in his book Saving Lives, Saving Money, is but […]
27 Oct
2009
Do Mandatory Vaccinations Achieve Higher Rates of Immunization?
Tami Wahl, ANH-USA’s legislative director, attended the 4th International Public Conference on Vaccination, held in Reston, Va., October 2-4, 2009. The conference was hosted by the National Vaccine Information Center, a nonprofit educational organization founded in 1982. The oldest and largest consumer organization advocating for the institution of vaccine safety and the protection of informed […]
20 Oct
2009
Doctors and Nurses in Ten States Test Positive for Toxic Chemicals
It is widely accepted that Americans live in a sea of 80,000 chemicals and that these are stored in our bodies, but the long-term consequences remain unknown.