I am the author of a FREE ebook called The Liquid Zeolite Book and I must admit to you that Robert Sopias and his information were INSPIRATION for me to get the truth out to you about this supplement. I do recommend before you spend money on any zeolite product, and especially if you are considering buying the book "11 Natural Therapies to Conquer Cancer" you go ahead to www.TheLiquidZeoliteBook.com and get that free book.

Don’t get me wrong. If you like what he has to say, and you think he has credibility then go for it, and get his stuff.

Here is what I know about Robert Sopias. First, he is not a doctor or a medical professional of any kind. He isn’t hiding that… he says very clearly on ONE of his websites that he is not a medical professional and he has never had cancer.

He is in fact, a MARKETER. Again, I have no problem with that EXCEPT that I do not believe the products he markets are in your best interest. I believe they are in his best interest.

His main site is www.cancerfighting strategies.com This used to be the main website… opening up immediately to his recommendations. Now it is a sales page for his book "11 Natural Therapeis to Conquer Cancer" which is essentially a larger sales page for the products he sells.

Again nothing wrong with that. … but I have done a ton of research on at least a couple of the products he recommends, and I believe that ESPECIALLY the zeolite product, he is putting people’s lives on the line. Get the free book on Liquid Zeolite at http://www.theliquidzeolitebook.com before you make up your mind on that one.

So in full disclosure, let me tell you about me…

I’m Shelley Penney

<== That’s me there.

I am a retired registered nurse. (YES WAYYYY before 65 :-)) I was so very fortunate to be able to stay home and look after my children while they were in middle school and high school.

 I have put into practice the things I am going to tell you about. 

If you want to learn more about how I recommend you Beat Cancer then just visit this Cancer Can Be Beaten book review before you purchase.

If you or a loved one are fighting cancer, or you simply want to prevent cancer, then you need this book. $14.95 is all it costs. $14.95 that could save your life. $14.95 is a small price to pay for information that is absolutely priceless!

Get the ebook Cancer Can Be Beaten. Click on any of the links, OR just click on that book. You will be able to order it safely and securely.  

Sick economy has patients skimping on meds

That's the headline of an Associated Press  news story that I found onMSNBC. One of the things I am grateful for here in Canada is that, even during difficult financial times, I can still see my doctor and get tests if I need them and not have to worry that I will go bankrupt because of it. Oh, that's an issue for another day though!

Next to the picture of the Hendricks family is this caption.

I think it is horrible when people can't work and are faced with financial burden while trying to rause a family HOWEVER is this what it is going to take to drive people to look for healthy alternatives to medicine and doctors?

Don't get me wrong, I think doctors and drugs have their place, (I am a retired nurse after all) but for even the most serious and scary diseases (cancer!?!) there are societies outside of the Western world that have treatments hailing from nature that actually work with MORE efficacy than OUR current doctor recommended treatments of chemotherapy and radiation. There are ALL KINDS of safe and effective ways to treat infections and viruses that don't require a trip to the doctor's office.

I have a suggestion. Why not research natural alternatives to doctors and drugs NOW. Why not start implementing some natural preventative and therapeutic measures into your life today BEFORE you are sick and can't afford the fees for treatment. Not only will you FEEL better just knowing you are taking some steps towards better health, but you may even need to see your doctor LESS. Think of the money you could save, for example, by strengthening your immune system, and getting less colds and flu. What about removing toxins from your system and avoiding aching and tiredness now, and perhaps fibromyalgia, MS, cancer… down the road.

Here are my 6 steps to optimum health. Why not do the research now, so that you can save money, worry, and youth down the road!

6 STEPS TO OPTIMUM HEALTH

1. EAT foods that help to create an alkaline environment in your body. That means more vegetables, fruits, and less red meat. More RAW and less cooked. Try to aim for an 80% vegetarian raw diet. Do you have a juicer? If not, you can get an inexpensive one at your local hardware or kitchen store . (Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro works just fine) Juice an 8 ounce glass of carrots and an 8 ounce glass of broccoli and drink it EVERY day. (add an apple for sweetness if desired).

2. DRINK water that is filtered, ionized and alkaline. If you don't have a water ionizer already, you can get one for a couple thousand dollars at www.alkalinewaterfountain.com. If you don't want to spend that kind of money you can get Real Water Concentrate -ionized water concentrate that turns your filtered water into an alkaline health beverage. Get more information on this Water treatment (including tons of info on acid/alkaline diets and reasons) at www.RealWaterHealth.com

3. DETOXIFY- with the Original Liquid Zeolite (www.naturalzeoliteliquid.com)

4. BOOST IMMUNE system by increasing the numbers and action of the Natural Killer Cells (a normal part of your immune system) with Agaricus Blazei (order it when you order your liquid zeolite)

5. AVOID toxins and poisons by using biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning and household products, eating organic produce and hormone free animal products, and drinking filtered water.

6. Get off the couch! Move it baby!

Real Water Concentrate

Turning your drinking water into a health drink.

I've made a discovery recently….. If you know me, then you know I have been on a "healthier lifestyle" quest for a while now. I've literally been devouring anything and everything I can on self-healing and healthy eating and lifestyle. I am definitely on a quest.

I've done a lot of studying on acidity and alkalinity as it pertains to our bodies, and how what we eat and drink can affect that delicate balance and over time lead to disease. I had been tossing around purchasing one of the ionizers that you see in the side panel there, but I really didn't want to put out that amount of money right before Christmas for a major purchase like that, ESPECIALLY when I didn''t know if it would really make a difference in my body pH.

Well then a friend of mine introduced me to Real Water Concentrate from The Real Water Club. The Real Water Club is a brand new company set up to market the Real Water Concentrate to the world. 

What is Real Water Concentrate?

Real Water Concentrate is a stabilized ionized concentrate that will turn any glass of water into an alkaline structured water that more closely resembles the cascading fresh water BEFORE the industrialization period when we completely ruined the earth and our resources with our pollution. It is water your body recognizes, and will help you on the road back to detox, alkalinity and health faster than anything else I've ever tried! As you can see, it comes in a 4 ounce dropper bottle. This one bottle treats 120 glasses of regular water. it is as simple as simple to use… just drop 1/2 a dropper full into your water. It is PRICED right too! If you join as a member of The Real Water Club, which is a FREE membership by the way, you can order your single bottle for as low as $39.95. Remember that treats 120 glasses of water. 

(From the website Real Water Health)

There is a ton of information about Real Water, and the Alkaline Lifestyle on the website I put together called Real Water Health. Find out why Real Water Concentrate is the BEST solution to poor health INCLUDING weight loss! If you prefer, you can visit The Real Water Club directly by clicking. Visit The REal Water Club.

Benefits of Drinking Real Water

• It raises the pH (increases alkalinity) of the beverage.

• It ionizes the beverage

• It is stable enough to hold those properties for days.

This could mean better hydration of cells, which often means body cells and organs which begin working like they were meant to. As well, you could experience superior detoxification, a balanced immune system, more energy, mental clarity, and a host of anti-aging benefits. 

Bring your body to a more alkalized state by removing damaging acidic toxins. Turn drinking water into an incredibly powerful anti-aging beverage with  antioxidant electrons that may have the ability to neutralize harmful free radicals. Experience cellular hydration like never before with Real Water’s E2-Electron Energized technology.

Mike Adams' Freaky Headlines

If you don't know who Mike Adams is, you may as well get acquainted now. He is a revered health editor and writer (Natural News) , outspoken activist, and nutritional ICON. I really like nearly everything Mike has to say. So do a lot of other people based on the fact that he now enjoys a readership of somewhere around 1.2 MILLION regular subscribers.

I am an avid reader of Mike's newsletters and stories. It was from Mike that I first heard of CODEX, he taught me about Liquid Zeolite, and he is always encouraging me to continue on my raw food journey with wonderful stories about broccoli's cancer curing properties, and the benefits of juicing.

So anyway… Mike is on the back of the FDA at every turn around. The world needs MORE Mike Adams'. His most recent article is a doozy and once again I am grateful. Now it may turn out that one or two of his ideas are wrong, after all he can't possibly be right all the time, but even if he is right 51% of the time the world is a better and healthier place!!

I have been resisting cholesterol lowering medications from my doctor for a very long time. I simply can not justify taking them, and whenever I feel myself wavering, Mike comes through for me again! I have bloodwork to have my cholesterol checked AGAIN (last one was 3 months ago) as my doctor has the push on for me to take these drugs. Mike comes through with the article of the YEAR as far as I am concerned!

Here it is in it's entirety! Enjoy! (and then sign up for Mike's newsletter!!

Low Cholesterol Increases Cancer and Death Risk

Wednesday, August 27, 2008 by: Byron Richards

(NaturalNews) In a major shot fired across the bow of the statin marketing machine, the levels of LDL cholesterol that are the artificial targets of "health" promoted by the American Heart Association (AHA) are now found to be associated with a significant increased risk of cancer and death.

The AHA recommends an LDL level of 100 for prevention and 70 for high risk patients. In the new study an LDL level of 107 was associated with a 33% increased risk of cancer and death, an LDL level of 87 was associated with a 50% increased risk. As the LDL goes lower the risk keeps getting worse. These arbitrary AHA levels for LDL cholesterol were established by "experts" with direct financial ties to the statin industry, who knew full well that reaching their artificially low target levels for LDL would require double and triple doses of statin drugs, thus dramatically increasing sales (which has indeed happened).

The Vytorin fraud has pointed out quite clearly that lowering LDL cholesterol to very low levels does not reduce cardiovascular disease. Another Vytorin study also shows doing so increases cancer risk by 64%. The new study paints the clear picture that lowering LDL too low actually increases the rate of death from any cause. This new study also points out the statistical shenanigans that the statin industry uses to hide the actual risks of these drugs in the studies that have been published.

The data was so alarming that the researchers called for a statistical reanalysis of the data from all existing cholesterol studies, using better statistical models that actually reflect true risk. The results of this new research led the authors to conclude "A low LDL cholesterol level is not necessarily associated with optimal clinical outcomes but is a predictor of cancer and death."

We have known for many years that individuals who maintain an LDL cholesterol level of 130 as they enter their 40s and 50s have much less heart disease as they grow older. This is because they are healthy and have maintained fitness in their cholesterol function and metabolism. There is no credible data to show that lowering LDL numbers with statins actually produces a similar level of health, especially to artificially low numbers. There is a huge difference between having good cholesterol numbers because you are healthy and drugging your body's synthesis of cholesterol with statins.

In the current study the ideal LDL cholesterol level was 126. The researchers were able to identify a bell shaped curve, in terms of a departure in either direction from this ideal number. LDL over 146 or less than 107 was associated with 33% increased risk of cancer. LDL over 164 of less than 87 was associated with a 50% increased risk. The risk keeps getting worse the higher or lower the number progresses away from the ideal of 126. LDL in the range of 108 – 145 had no statistically significant cancer risk, although being in the center of this range is clearly best.

There have been a number of studies in the past that link low cholesterol and cancer risk. However, these studies could not prove that the cancer was not already there prior to the start of the study – which has been the main argument used (besides statistical manipulation) by the statin industry to deny the association. In the new study this issue was taken into account by eliminating participants with less than 2.5 years follow up after the start of the study, thus demonstrating that the results were not due to pre-existing cancer.

Needless to say, this study was not part of the marketing machine propaganda that is rampant in universities and "scientific" journals that have been used to promote the statin scam around the world, while actively blackmailing and blacklisting any authors, institutions, or journals that dare to step on Big Pharma's statin toes. This study was published on August 26, 2008 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It was carried out in Hong Kong with Chinese patients who had type II diabetes – the exact patient who is forced onto aggressive cholesterol lowering with statin drugs in America.

It is quite clear that scientific knowledge and advanced statistical analysis are no longer under the control of Big Pharma and its legions of scientists, universities, and medical journals that are on the take, misrepresenting data, and actively suppressing negative findings. The truth is coming out because Big Pharma is targeting the citizens of the world as a new market for statin sales. And they are also targeting our children, wanting infants seven months of age to have LDL levels of 50 and keep them at that level their whole life (with drugs, since such levels are totally abnormal).

The insanity must stop. Americans have been conned. Big Pharma and the American Heart Association should be held responsible for past crimes and future intended crimes against the health of our citizens under the false pretense of improved cardiovascular health.

Sources:
Link to full Canadian Medical Association Journal article: http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/179…

Link to fully referenced version of this article:
http://www.wellnessresources.com/health…

About the author: Byron J. Richards, Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist, nationally-renowned nutrition expert, and founder of Wellness Resources is a leader in advocating the value of dietary supplements as a vital tool to maintain health. He is an outspoken critic of government and Big Pharma efforts to deny access to natural health products and has written extensively on the life-shortening and health-damaging failures of the sickness industry. www.wellnessresources.com askbyron@wellnessresources.com

Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com and BeNaturallyWell.com with clickable link.

If ever there was a time that we were given fair warning that we need to make our voices heard, it is RIGHT NOW ! The FDA has put into effect the "Produce Irradiation Rule" to irradiate ALL iceberg lettuce and spinach.

Dennis Olson is a professor of animal science and directs Iowa State's Linear Accelerator Facility, one of only two commercial-sized irradiation facilities for food research and demonstration on a U.S. university campus……

The Call Has Gone Out… Fair Warning!

"It would have to be new construction, that's for sure," Olson added. "We wouldn't expect any immediate adoption, and in fact industry won't move forward unless they are sure there won't be a backlash from consumer activists. The other issue is that there is a lot more product now being labeled organic, and you cannot irradiate products labeled organic."

source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119195.php

If you don't know about CODEX I URGE you to watch these 2 short videos on CODEX and pass it on to as many people as you can. Rally together to contact your local Government official and say NO very loudly to food irradiation and anything else that will further diminish the nutritive value of our food supply.

Never in the history of the world has so much been at stake as far as our world health projections. CODEX, the irradiation of our food supply and the regulation of all foods and nutrients will be the direct cause of 3 million deaths from malnourishment and disease that we are unable to fend off because of weakened immunity. Become aware, and then tell everyone NOW> CODEX is set to be fully implemented around the world by December 2009!

Codex IS Already Underway!

Do you know what Codex is?? It is COMPLETE control over our food supply. Codex first of all will not be voluntary. It will regulate nutrients and herbs. Under current law, anything that is not regulated is permitted. For example herbs, foods etc are currently classified as food, and as such not regulated and we can have as much herb (Echinacea, Ginko Biloba) as we want to buy. Codex, on the other hand  will require that what is not regulated is FORBIDDEN (illegal!)

Codex will be the direct cause of 3 BILLION deaths in the world, and is slated to go 100% in to effect in December 2009. You have 1 year to GET aware, and get rallied to do something.

The idea behind CODEX came from the NAZI criminal who developed the gas used to kill JEWS in WW2 in the Gas Chambers. Pictures like the one on the right are not so far from where we are headed!

CODEX will mandate antibiotics and growth hormone in every cow in the world! CODEX will mandate and regulateevery bit of food that goes into your mouth. EVERYTHING that can be legally put into your mouth right now except pharmaceuticals, which will not be regulated by CODEX.

Watch these videos (they are ONLY 8 minutes each and they are URGENT!) and then do me a favor….

Send this post to everyone you know. Ask them to send it on too!

Hit DIGG, Del.icio.us, Technorati, and Stumble Upon. (the buttons are right below the videos) SPREAD the world urgently around the world and WAKE PEOPLE UP to CODEX so WE can put a stop to this outrage!!

These days I don't find it difficult at all to personally get my recommended fruits and vegetables. My house is loaded with fresh produce of all descriptions. Just in fruits I have fresh watermelon, honey dew melon, cantaloupe, pears, apples (red delicious and granny smith), naval oranges, tangerines, blueberries, green and red grapes, bananas, a mango, black plums, nectarines, lemons, limes, avacado… and I am probably missing something. That's just fresh. I also have several bags of frozen fruits in the freezer (mostly berries).

I won't begin to list all the fresh vegetables I have on hand… I know I would miss a lot.  Health is not, however, about what I eat today (or what my family eats today). health is about what we eat consistently over time. Each day of getting an abundance of fresh whole fruits and vegetables adds up to the grand total that will make a difference over the entire course of your life. It will affect how you feel, how you look, how you move, how you respond to viruses, how you fight off things like cancer. It is important that you pay attention to this now. It is not too late to start eating more fruits and vegetables.

As a mom, I found a number of creative ways over the years to get extra servings of vegetables into meals and snacks. You know the obvious ways, i.e. salads, veggie side dishes, and fresh fruit snacks or desserts, but these can get boring or tedious.

Here are some things that I have found make a big difference.

• Use grated vegetables in pasta sauces – When I used a canned pasta sauce I always saute onions, garlic, fresh mushrooms, green and red peppers and add the sauce with or with out browned ground beef, but I ALSO grate several large carrots to put in. Carrots give the sauce a real fresh flavored lift but the tomato sauce disguises the carrot flavor. To this day my family does not know I put carrots in their pasta sauce.
  
• Grated vegetables are also good in meat loaf or hamburger patties.
• When having spaghetti, grate a zuchini or 2 lengthwise and add it to the long noodles. If you peeled it they may not even know!
• Mix grated vegetables (carrots, onions,  into salad dressings or sour cream and use as a veggie or corn chip dip.
  
• Smoothies – Using fresh or frozen berries as a base throw in some flax seed oil, a banana, and some melon (water melon, honey dew or cantaloupe) Then for more liquid JUICE 2 large carrots per person, and 1 pear per person, to dump in the blender instead of water!
  
• Semi-frozen strawberry yogurt- take a cup of frozen strawberries, 1 cup of strawberry yogurt, 2 scoops of protein powder. (I use URI's Orange Flavored Multi-meal) and 2 tablespoons on flax seed oil. Blend. Add just enough apple or orange juice (or water) so the berries blend) Pour into bowls. This is MUCH more delicious than ice cream and makes a wonderful breakfast for children who don't like to eat in the morning.
  
• Make more casseroles. Tonight I cook chicken breasts. I took 4 large boneless, skinless breasts and chunked them, and baked them in a baking dish for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. The I chopped fresh new carrots, a head of broccoli, a small onion, some green beans, and mushrooms, mixed the whole thing in a bowl with a can of sodium reduced cream of mushroom soup, pored it all over the partially cooked chicken, and stirred it all up. Baked it for another 25 minutes and served it with a large salad of fresh vegetables. I let my family serve themselves but I live with teens. SO….
  
• Make it accessible… Veggies always fresh chopped and in serving sizes… with meals I put the large salad out and I get out their favorite salad dressings ad open the top and set it right next to the silverware, I always have fresh made salsa available and they will often scoop that up as a condiment or side dish.
  
• Make fresh cobblers for dessert instead of pies. Lots of fruit in a very lightly greased baking dish topped with a crumble of equal parts raw oatmeal, almond meal, shaved coconut and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Add a bit of coconut oil to make a crumbly mixture and bake at 350 until fruit is soft and bubbly. If using apples or peaches sprinkle a bit of cinnamon. Berries may require a bit of your choice of sweetener. It is very fast to do something like this up and pop it in the oven after you take the casserole out. It is ready when your meal is done!
  
• Wrap large lettuce leaves around sandwich filling instead of bread.
• And don't forget celery or carrot sticks spread with peanut butter. YUM!

It is good to have the proper tools. I use pampered chef garlic press and veggie peelers, and I have a small electric food chopper, a 7 speed blender, and a Hamilton Beach Juicer, and some good sharp knives. I also have plenty of spices, herbs and seasonings.

The other night my teen age daughter actually ASKED for a vegetarian dinner.  I had taken some pita breads, brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled them with garlic powder and sea salt and then baked them until lightly browned at 450 degrees. Then I served some home made salsa, a guacamole made with fresh avocado, juice of one lime, garlic clove crushed, and cilantro, and served both dips with the "chips" and some carrots, celery, cukes, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes.  The ONLY reason she asked for this is because she LOVES the "homemade nacho chips".

My rule of thumb is.. if having something they aren't crazy about, serve it with something they love!

Happy healthy eating to you, and get your 5-12 a day! Twelveliness is next to healthiness!

It is amazing, I feel stronger, lighter, and happier. If you read my post from yesterday, then you know that I finally conquered the exercise demon. I simply changed the way I viewed moving my body. Isn't it amazing what happens when you no longer give over the power, but take it back for yourself?

Today, my muscles feel sore. It's the good sore that comes from DOING something! I am walking with an energetic step. I am standing erect of posture. I feel strong, confident and healthy. IMAGINE all of that in just a day. Just one day that I've been building up for, and laying the foundation for this past month.

This afternoon for a while, and again this evening I browsed the internet, exploring fitness blogs. I have been browsing "loss weight" blogs for the past month, and it is interesting how the energy changes slightly with the keyword.

so while I was browsing tonight I came across a fascinating post from Dave at TheTruthAboutDiets.com. It seems that he has been saying for some time that exercise is not enough to lose weight, unless you make diet modifications as well.

Here is his post… Enjoy!

Exercise Alone Ain't Enough to Get It Done

Anyone who's read my stuff or followed any of my programs knows that when it comes to losing fat, I say that nutrition is more than half the battle.

Well, now there's some very good research that proves this point.

Basically this research took two groups of sedentary people, and gave one group a well-designed fitness program to follow for 12 weeks, while the other group remained sedentary.

They didn't change their eating patterns at all. The results might surprise you. You can read the details in a post from Dr. John Berardi, who was part of the research team.

Here's the link to the post.

Unregulated by the FDA  it's well known for a decade now that sunscreen does not protect people from cancer. In fact it is known to cause breast cancer, and increase the incidence of malignant melanoma… one of the most aggressive and deadly cancers known.

How can this be you might ask. If I didn't think it was absolutely a horrendous thought, I might suspect that the FDA was doing everything it could to help us all GET cancer!?!?!

Most of us (mothers) have slathered sunscreen on our children since birth, feeling we were doing the right thing for them. Many of us have also been slathering it on ourselves. Watching my sis go through mastectomy and chemo for breast cancer at 45 years old, I can't help reading this story and picturing her many outdoor camping and hiking trips armed with 30 SPF.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FDA REMAINS ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ON THE DANGERS OF SUNSCREENS, BESIDES OTHER COSMETICS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

CHICAGO, IL, August 7, 2008 –/WORLD-WIRE/– Since 1978, sunscreens have been regulated and labeled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the basis of their SPF (Skin Protection Factor).

On August 23, 2007, the FDA proposed new regulations for more informative labeling of sunscreens. However, almost a year later, they still remain pending.

In response to FDA’s inaction, and mounting concerns on the unreliability of the SPF, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal wrote to the FDA on July 24 criticizing its failure to regulate the sunscreen industry, and prevent it from making “dangerously misleading claims” on the safety and effectiveness of its products.

A week later, Senator Jack Reed (D-Ri) and Christopher Dodd (D-Ct) introduced the “Sunscreen Labeling Act of 2008.” This gave the FDA six more months to finalize comprehensive rules, otherwise the Act would become law.

Sunscreens pose scientifically well documented risks. While well known for over a decade, they remain unregulated by the FDA, and ignored by the industry.

Sunscreens are based on six ingredients, some of which actively penetrate the skin, accumulate in the body, and have been identified in urine and breast milk.

More ominously, these ingredients have toxic hormonal effects, known technically as “endocrine disruptive.” Evidence for these effects has been well documented over the last decade. This includes stimulation of human breast cancer cells in test tube experiments, and increased uterine growth in immature female rats following skin painting or feeding.

Sunscreens block short wave ultraviolet light (UVB), which is responsible for sunburn. This encourages prolonged exposure, particularly of children. Moreover, sunscreens are ineffective against long wave ultraviolet light (UVA), which is responsible for malignant melanoma, the fastest growing known cancer. As a result, its incidence has increased by 130%, and its mortality has increased by 26% since 1975. FDA’s continuing regulatory failure in this regard reflects the reckless indifference to consumer product safety of its Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, former director of the National Cancer Institute.

Of major concern, and still ignored by the FDA, is the increasing addition to sunscreens of unlabeled atom or molecule size zinc oxide or titanium dioxide particles. Technically known as nanoparticles, they increase the durability and effectiveness of these products. However, as reported in over two dozen scientific publications since 2003, including those by an Environmental Protection Agency research team and the International Center for Technology Assessment, nanoparticles can penetrate the skin, invade blood vessels, and produce devastating distant toxic effects.

FDA’s regulatory failure extends from sunscreens to a wide range of other dangerous ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. Of illustrative concern is FDA’s reckless failure to respond to November 1994 and May 2008 Citizen Petitions, by the Cancer Prevention Coalition, “Seeking a Cancer Warning on Cosmetic Talc Products,” used for feminine hygiene. As detailed in these Petitions, talc is a major avoidable cause of ovarian cancer, a relatively rare cancer at any age, whose incidence has escalated dramatically by 12% for white and 32% for black women, with about 15,000 deaths annually. This makes it the fourth most common fatal cancer after breast, colon and lung.

The “Sunscreen Labeling Act” should be the first step to developing a comprehensive “Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Labeling Act.” This could be modeled along the lines of California’s precedential 2007 Safe Cosmetics Act.

As warned by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Ma) at September 10, 1997 Hearings on the FDA Reform Bill, “The cosmetics industry has borrowed a page from the playbook of the tobacco industry by putting profits ahead of public health.” This warning remains recklessly unheeded by the FDA.

Samuel S. Epstein, MD
Professor emeritus Environmental & Occupational Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition
Chicago, Illinois
www.preventcancer.com
epstein@uic.edu

The entire news report is below, followed by my reaction.

In addition to limiting calories, overweight and obese women may need to exercise 55 minutes a day for five days per week to sustain a weight loss of 10 percent over two years, according to a report in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

More than 65 percent of U.S. adults are overweight, a public health concern, according to background information in the article. "Among obese adults, long-term weight loss and prevention of weight regain have been less than desired," the authors write. "

Therefore, there is a need for more effective interventions." Current recommendations prescribe 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week, for a total of 150 minutes per week. However, a growing consensus suggests that more exercise may be needed to enhance long-term weight loss.

To calculate the amount of exercise needed, John M. Jakicic, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues enrolled 201 overweight and obese women in a weight loss intervention between 1999 and 2003. All the women were told to eat between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day. They were then assigned to one of four groups based on physical activity amount (burning 1,000 calories vs. 2,000 calories per week) and intensity (moderate vs. vigorous). Group meetings focusing on strategies for modifying eating and exercise habits, as well telephone calls with the intervention team, also were conducted over the two-year period.

After six months, women in all four groups had lost an average of 8 percent to 10 percent of their initial body weight. However, most were not able to sustain this weight loss. After two years the women's weight was an average of 5 percent lower than their initial weight, with no difference between groups.

The 24.6 percent of individuals who did maintain a loss of 10 percent or more over two years reported performing more physical activity (an average of 1,835 calories per week, or 275 minutes per week over the baseline level of activity) than those who lost less weight. They also completed more telephone calls with the intervention team, engaged in more eating behaviors recommended for weight control and had a lower intake of dietary fat.

"This clarifies the amount of physical activity that should be targeted for achieving and sustaining this magnitude of weight loss, but also demonstrates the difficulty of sustaining this level of physical activity," the authors write. "Research is needed to improve long-term compliance with this targeted level of physical activity. Moreover, continued contact with the intervention staff and the ability to sustain recommended eating behaviors also may be important contributing factors to maintaining a significant weight loss that exceeds 10 percent of initial body weight, which suggests that physical activity does not function independently of these other behaviors."

 

---

There are a few things about this study that are "missing" for me. What kinds of jobs do these women have? What is their average physical activity NOT including their exercise? Do they really need MORE exercise to maintain, or did they slip back in some regard to their previous eating habits?

The bottom line in weight gain, or loss (half full or half empty?!) is that you need to burn more calories than you take in. You can effect your metabolism to hang on to those calories and may need to exercise more, and yet for someone else matabolism may differ and they don't need to exercise as much in order to maintain.

This study (and so many studies that I've read on weight loss) always try and put people into groups as if they are all the same, and they really are not. I haven't had a McD meal or a fast food meal of any kind more than 2 or 3 times a year for many years now, and yet.. I have a LOT to lose. My neighbor has terrible eating habits and she drinks like a fish, and wears a size 2, and her muscles are all very well defined. She is 50 years old and doesn't go to the gym or workout in ANY way.

Everyone is different. Let us STOP spending so much money on why people aren't maintaining, or why ethel weighs 300 pounds. Let's get rid of the garbage people are eating, ban fast food and soda commercials to late night, focus more on helping people exercise and make healthy whole food choices. If everyone focussed on weight in the same way that the focus has been on cigarettes, we would be so much further ahead!