Healthcare Media Events

Healthcare Media Events
Event 1 Toxic Chemicals in Product Packaging
Products come in a variety of packaging these days and some food items have chemicals identified as suspects, such as phthalates and bisphenol, or BPA. CNN Health’s Sandee LaMotte states that many scientists have suspicions that the packaging could be affecting humans in the endocrine system. This article suggests that customers use their purchasing power to make these companies force changes in the marketplace by insisting that they reduce the harmful chemicals from their products.
A group called Safe Chemicals announced a new method for reporting on retailers and assigning a grade to how well these companies are doing in the reduction of harmful chemicals. The highest grade of B went to Target and Walmart. BestBuy and CVS only hit the C’s. Home Depot, Kroger, Lowes, and Walgreens hit in the D’s. Dead last were Amazon, Costco, and Albertsons brought up the rear with solid F’s in a scorecard called “Who’s Minding the Store?”
These reports grade retailers in 13 categories on a scale of 0-130; the results are shocking that only two were in the B level. Neither Amazon nor Costco had a decent response to this report. These chemicals include arsenic, lead, mercury as heavy metals. Next on the list were BPA, parabens, and formaldehyde all of which may affect the endocrine system of humans and animals. These huge retailers can vote with their purchase power, the ones listed in this report have sales of over one trillion combined (LaMotte, 1).

They can force changes in the packaging environment.
All environmental activists want the public to consider more than price when shopping. Customers can vote by not purchasing from these retailers. There no grades higher than a B and that are quite alarming, considering how many products sold in this contaminated packaging. The biggest offenders other than packaging are artificial scents, canned food, non-stick coatings, those toys that come in cereal boxes, chemical laden cleaning fluids, and vinyl or PVC shower curtains. These are products are in everyone’s homes and have been there for quite some time. Toxicity levels become higher where heating is concerned. It is now that people are more informed and shocked about the toxins in everyday items. The time is now for personally leaving a greener footprint. The first step understands what these toxic chemicals are and what products they are in, then not buying them. This will hurt these companies in the pocketbook. It is almost the only language they understand is the level of lost sales.
“Use your purchasing power to drive positive change in the marketplace,” said Mike Schade of Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, a group enthusiastically reducing the toxic compound footprints. “Ask major retailers to get tough on manufacturers and use their influence to rid the marketplace of toxic chemicals.” It is so important that these groups step up and make the consumers aware of these problems. The ones most affected are the children and the expectant mothers. People are much more prone to allergies today than they were fifty years ago. Humans have gotten themselves into trouble by failing to analyze inherent dangers of toxicity due to mixing chemicals into packaging and products to cook food. Scientists and inventors have not done enough research in how toxicity affects humans or the environment.

Event 2 Flavored E-Cigarettes
Parents are protesting about how Tobacco manufacturers have added flavoring to their products and many parents feel they entice the teenagers to use their products. E-Cigarette use is increasing among teenagers due to these flavors. In a survey taken by middle and high schools students in 2014 reports that 58% have tried the E-Cigarettes and planned to start smoking when they reached the legal age (Reinberg, 1).
Currently, there are over 460 brands and over 7700 flavor combinations available in the United States alone. Most of the youth who have used this product, have never smoked traditional tobacco. This product is associated with a lower awareness of the damaging effect of tobacco. Flavored tobacco is under-regulated, and presents reports that fail in statement clarity and could lead more youth to tobacco dependence. According to the article, Obama dropped the regulation of flavoring in E-Cigarettes from the FDA’s ruling. This will delay the ruling on flavored E-Cigarettes. Recent studies prove that youth frequently use these devices are probably more likely to move on the regular tobacco products as reported in prior studies.
While all these statements portray E-Cigarettes as precursors to tobacco smoking, it is the advent of flavors that entice the youth, not all will become addicted. It is the lack of oversight, which allows these youth to experiment with E-Cigarettes, which present the potential for abuse. The FDA should regulate the flavoring. Until that happens, the potential exists. Some think that assuming all will get addicted sells some youths short on decision power.
Education is the key to preventing teens from smoking tobacco. Once these youth understand the issues and consequences many may choose to forgo this bad habit. This may get the point across in a worthwhile way. It is the presentation of accurate facts, which will sway some of these youth from using his sometimes-deadly drug called nicotine. Today’s youth know more than their predecessors are. This is due to the multiple sources of documented media sites directed at this targeted audience. Some studies show that E-Cigs spawns frequent youth tobacco use.
The final insult is the FDA facing a lawsuit over delays in ruling on graphic health warning labels for tobacco products. Many detractors want to force the issue in court as sponsors of The “Tobacco Free Kids” Campaign (Reinberg, 1). These sponsors state that tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. They also state the vials that hold the liquid nicotine products are mislabeled and non-child resistant (Reinberg, 1). Researchers examined 93 e-cig products and found that the actual level was inconsistent with the labeling on the container. The results showed that 34% had less nicotine than labeled and 17% had more than listed on the label. This is a whopping range of 66%-172% more than currently on the label. They even tested vials that stated no nicotine actually had 0.19mL, with the highest at 0.48mL per container (Reinberg, 1). This inaccuracy presents more exposure to the damaging effects of this product. While these are frightening statistics, it is still a personal choice by each individual, no matter what their age is to take up smoking (Reinberg, 1).
Event 3 Is Chocolate Good for You
Reanalyzing existing studies on Chocolate suggests that cocoa is good for overall health (Dotinga, 1). The researchers are waiting to suggest a recommended daily amount. They feel the user should take into account the amount of sugar and fat in chocolate products, and not be tempted to bust the candy aisle as the judgment is still out on the daily impact of health states.
Scientist Xiaochen Lin and colleagues are researching the flavanols, a major component in the cocoa portion of chocolate. In nineteen clinical trials that had 1,131 contributors taking in cocoa flavanols or a dummy sample. These trials are an attempt to discern the effect of these components on metabolic or cardiovascular systems in the human body. Trial participants received 166 mg to 2110 mg with periods of two weeks or up 52 weeks (Dotinga, 1).
The funding for this trial came from the Mars Candy Company, Pfizer, National Institute of Health, and the American Heart Association. The researchers found test subjects on the real cocoa flavanols had a lower level of Triglycerides. Lab tests showed improvements in blood sugar and inflammation. Also noted was the levels of good cholesterol were higher in those same test subjects. There are no real standards for flavanols in any one chocolate product (Dotinga, 1). The dark chocolate had fewer flavanols than white or milk chocolate. This fact is quite surprising, considering results from other research previously done on chocolate. People who love chocolate reap the benefits in feeling good and actually improving their health by doing so. So eat up, it seems to be good for humans from both a physical and mental standpoint.
These were surprising results for the researchers and they stop short of suggesting a diet based on chocolate. This was a study investigated by WebMD in conjunction with Health Daily News. All who indulge in a little chocolate now and then may assist them to a higher state of health, but suggests by not overindulging. There is not enough research done yet, that determines what type of chocolate is best for improving one’s lab numbers. How much is too much or too little to have a positive effect on anyone’s health.
The suggestion from researchers is balancing the benefits with risk and chocolate eaters should not ignore the sugar, fat, and calories and go overboard. Practically everyone who eats chocolate inherently knows that it has to come with all those ingredients because it would not be as tasty without them. Yes, it is possible to have addictions and allergies to chocolate. No one will find those who love these little treats complaining if some researcher complains we are not eating enough chocolate. As in all things, moderation is the key. Chocolate seems to be good for all us humans. After all, chocolate dates back to the 1500’s when the Aztecs and Mayans traded the cacao beans and described it as the food of gods.
Just remember not all chocolate is equal in all creations, and experts suggest passing on the marshmallow and caramel versions. The point of this article is to indulge, but limit the serving size in order to maintain a healthy balance of chocolate to fat and sugar. The fun is those emotions one experiences while eating this fun treat. Chocolate is good for humans but in moderation. Good luck with those facts, and just enjoy that chocolate before they find something bad. Chocolate is good for most people.
Works Cited
Dotinga, Randy, Is Chocolate Really good for you WebMD HealthDay 2016 Web 18 November
2016
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20161020/is-it-really-true-that-chocolatemay-be-good-for-you#1
LaMotte, Sandee, CNN Shoppers guide to avoiding toxic chemicals Web 18 November 2016
http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/17/health/shopping-toxic-chemical-report-card/index.html
Reinberg, Steven, Flavored E-Cigarettes May Entice Teens to Smoke, Health Day Web 2016 18
November 2016
https://consumer.healthday.com/cancer-information-5/electronic-cigarettes-970/flavored-e-cigarettes-may-lure-teens-to-smoking-study-716576.html
Schade, Michael, Safer chemical, Healthy Families 2016 Web 18 November 2016
http://saferchemicals.org/