ROUND-UP: ORGANIC FOOD LAWS
Following are experts who can discuss organic food laws. An appeals court decided earlier this year that small amounts of non-organic ingredients -- vitamins, spices, citric acid, even carbonation -- should be allowed in food bearing the "USDA Organic" seal. However, organic companies that make jam and yogurt, for example, argue that the law could hurt their sales and that they need synthetic ingredients like pectin to ensure proper taste and consistency:
**1. KATHERINE DIMATTEO, executive director of the ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATION: "Recent bipartisan action in Congress restored key provisions of the national organic standards, which were threatened by a June 2005 court ruling that declared there were technical inconsistencies between the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), and the National Organic Program standards implemented in October 2002. OTA had submitted language to Congress to amend OFPA to allow the continued use of a limited list of stringently reviewed synthetic materials in post-harvest handling and processing. As a result, consumers can keep purchasing all the 'USDA Organic' products currently available in the marketplace."
**2. RICHARD LYONS, attorney and partner at WENDEL ROSEN BLACK & DEAN, is a legal expert in organic food laws and is an integral member of his firm's sustainable business and natural products practice group. He can discuss the many laws and guidelines governing the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of natural foods and products and sustainable agriculture. Lyons can speak on the recent appeals decision as well as the following matters: Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938, Federal National Organic Program (accreditation, labeling, etc.), California Organic Foods Act, Federal Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, and the Federal Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990.
**3. JOSEPH D. ROSEN, professor of food science at RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, headed up a roster of speakers at a recent conference in Philadelphia entitled "Is Organic Food Healthier Than Conventional Food?" Rosen dismissed claims that organic products are safer, more nutritious and better for the environment as "science by press release." He and other credentialed speakers cited faulty research methods, flawed statistics, suppressed information and biased funding sources for scientific studies. They said consumers are being duped by meaningless buzzwords like "natural," "pure" and "healthy."
ROUND-UP: BIRD FLU (continued)
We've added the following to items posted previously at http://profnet.prnewswire.com/organik/orbital/thewire/lst_leads.jsp?iLRTopicI D=2385
**1. JOYDEEP SRIVASTAVA, associate professor of marketing at the UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, can speak on a proliferation of "fear-based" marketing of cures and preventatives: "With the emphasis of all media shifting from 'if' it will strike to 'when' it will strike, people are fearful and anxious about the imminent threat. They may not process all the information that is available and may succumb to bogus claims of efficacious protection against the avian flu." Srivastava is an expert in consumer decision-making and consumer psychology.
**2. CHIEHWEN ED HSU, assistant professor of public and community health at the UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: "It's critical to address the poor surveillance of disease in Southeast Asia, where economies rely heavily on poultry export. We have to learn from [China's poor reporting] history of SARS. It's still an issue. We need to help those countries along." Hsu is an expert in public health emergency preparedness for disease and bioterrorism, health disparities and minority health, including Asian Americans. He is on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Health Information Systems and Informatics and the American Journal of Health Behavior.
**3. GALIT SHMUELI, assistant professor of management science and statistics at the UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, is known for her research contributions to developing bio-surveillance systems. On a development of a flu surveillance system for early warning of pandemic, she says, "Early warning systems monitor data sources that would contain an early signature of an (avian flu) outbreak. This includes over-the-counter medication sales and complaints of patients when they first reach emergency departments."
**4. PETER MORICI, professor of business at the UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, is a recognized expert on international economic policy: "Worst case -- a severe avian flu pandemic could cause a breakdown in the global economy, setting back globalization and economic integration a decade or more." Morici is a recognized expert on macroeconomics and international economics and policy (the World Trade Organization, NAFTA, IMF and other similar institutions). He participates in Reuters' weekly and quarterly macroeconomic forecasting poll and issues an annual economic forecast. He has served as director of the Office of Economics at the U.S. International Trade Commission, and his views have been featured on Fox, Reuters Financial Network, CBS News, ABC News and national broadcast networks around the world.
_____LEADS
**1. DERMATOLOGY: FRACTIONAL LASER REVOLUTIONIZES MELASMA TREATMENT. JOSHUA L. FOX, M.D., FAAD, dermatologist and founder of ADVANCED DERMATOLOGY and THE CENTER FOR LASER AND COSMETIC SURGERY: "Many women are embarrassed and distressed by brown or grayish-brown patches on their faces, a common condition known as melasma. The condition, which affects about five to six million women annually, is benign, but difficult to treat. This past summer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a breakthrough treatment, the Fraxel laser, for the treatment of melasma. With the Fraxel laser, we can gently treat portions of the skin and penetrate deeply enough to eliminate the pigment-producing cells or melanocytes that cause melasma."
**2. FITNESS: EXERCISE DOESN'T MAKE A COLD WORSE. THOMAS WEIDNER, director of the Athletic Training Research and Education Laboratory at BALL STATE UNIVERSITY: "Many people will stop exercising when suffering from cold symptoms, but regular and moderate workouts may actually strengthen the body's immune system and help it protect against infection." In his recent studies, Weidner discovered that most people with colds feel better after a workout.
**3. FITNESS: WALKING CAN KEEP OFF THE HOLIDAY POUNDS. LENNY KAMINSKY, professor of physical education at BALL STATE UNIVERSITY: "Brisk walks can help people from adding weight during the holidays. A typical person may gain a few pounds during the holidays because of an abundance of food combined with cold weather that restricts many outdoor activities. Walking an average of 30 minutes daily would meet the minimum exercise guidelines established by the U.S. Surgeon General."
**4. HEALTH: HOLIDAY HORMONE HELP. C.W. (RANDY) RANDOLPH, JR., M.D. of the NATURAL HORMONE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA: "There's no question that the holidays bring a new level of stress to most of us, but what if that stress is compounded by an underlying hormonal imbalance setting off a chain reaction of depression, weight gain and fatigue? Those 'holiday blues' may be more than troublesome -- they may be signaling a hormonal imbalance. This isn't just for women -- men too can suffer from andropause, or male hormone imbalance." Randolph has developed holiday hormone tips, including hormone balancing, healthy food choices, energy drinks and mind-body techniques for stress relief.
**5. HEALTH: CONFUSED ABOUT GLUCOSAMINE? DR. JASON THEODOSAKIS, M.D., arthritis expert, international best-selling author of "The Arthritis Cure," assistant clinical professor at the UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA College of Medicine, and preventive and sports medicine clinician at the CANYON RANCH MEDICAL DEPARTMENT, sat on the oversight steering committee for the NIH funded GAIT trial and has long supported the use of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements for osteoarthritis pain: "The GAIT and GUIDE studies offer welcome relief to those who experience chronic joint pain. The studies add to the existing body of evidence supporting use of glucosamine alone or combined with chondroitin to effectively manage joint pain."
**6. HEALTH: TIPS TO ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE BETWEEN PATIENT AND DOCTOR. LYNN LABORANTI, M.S., R.D., continuing education specialist at PHARMAVITE LLC, can provide consumers with a patient checklist that will encourage them to discuss their CAM use with their doctors: "Cleary, consumers who use Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) need to discuss these products with their doctor/physician. A new CAM study showed that amongst CAM users, only 39 percent believed it important for their doctor to know about their CAM use."
**7. HEALTH: REDUCING THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE AND TYPE 2- DIABETES. DR. JEAN-PIERRE DESPRES, director of research at the Quebec Heart Institute at the LAVAL HOSPITAL RESEARCH CENTER in Sainte-Foy, Quebec: "Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., while the number of diabetics in the U.S. continues to rise. Current treatments for these diseases generally target individual risk factors and experts agree that a comprehensive treatment is needed. Rimonabant, which is currently under FDA review, has been shown to significantly improve multiple cardiometabolic risk factors, such as reduced triglycerides, decreased waist circumference (an indicator of high-risk abdominal fat) and increased HDL (good cholesterol). Patients also saw significant improvement in emerging risk markers, including adiponectin and C-reactive protein (CRP)." Despres was the lead researcher for a RIO-Lipids study published in the Nov. 17 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
**8. HEALTH: C-SECTION RATES HIT ALL-TIME HIGH. DR. GREGORY FOSSUM, associate professor of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive endocrinology & infertility at THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: "According to an NCHS report released on Tuesday, cesarean deliveries reached record breaking numbers in 2004. While C-sections may seems like an easy option, most women aren't aware of the serious complications that can result, including adhesion formation that can delay access to an infant during a subsequent C-section by nearly 18 minutes -- a life or death difference in some cases. Adhesions also account for 20 to 50 percent of chronic pelvic pain and 15 to 20 percent of infertility cases. Women undergoing Cesarean sections, whether planned or unexpected, are most likely unaware of the risk of adhesion formation from this procedure. There is a growing need to institute measures to prevent adhesion formation."
**9. HEALTH: NEW TEST CAN DETECT BLADDER CANCER SOONER AND MORE ACCURATELY. GEORGE HOLLENBERG, M.D., New York-area pathologist and founder of ACUPATH LABORATORIES: "A new bladder cancer detection test approved by the FDA earlier this year has been shown to detect the presence of genetic changes in cells from the bladder isolated from urine -- a key indicator of bladder cancer -- up to six months sooner than other methods and with up to 95 percent accuracy. Bladder cancer is often discovered after it has progressed past stage I, simply because we did not have tests sensitive enough to detect the presence of DNA changes or cancerous cells in the earliest stage. The UroVysion (tm) Bladder Cancer Test Kit from Abbott allows the cytogeneticist and pathologist to visualize those cellular changes at the first sign something may be wrong, and, as we all know, early detection can be the key to a positive outcome."
**10. HEALTH: THE 10-MINUTE ENERGY SOLUTION. JON GORDON, author of the new book "The 10-Minute Energy Solution": "Research suggests that three things people want most today are money, time and energy. Just look at the fact that there are over 9,000 Starbucks in over 35 countries serving over 40 million people each day. People are starving for energy and they just don't know where to find it." Gordon can provide surprising energy secrets and hidden energy drainers, 10-minute energizing exercises and 10 one-minute habits that will supercharge your energy, as well as discuss how the "Seattle effect" is causing America's tired epidemic.
**11. MENTAL HEALTH: BRAIN TEASERS WARD OFF DEMENTIA. CORINNE GEDIMAN, author of "Brainfit: 10 Minutes a Day for a Sharper Mind and Memory": "Mental exercise sparks the brain's renewal processes and helps ward off dementia. What kind of exercises are experts recommending to boost brain health and function? The brain thrives on novelty, so break the routine, break out of the box and surprise your brain."
**12. PUBLIC HEALTH: TOOLS NEEDED TO MAKE LOOMING MEDICARE D PLAN CHOICES. WILLIAM H. MULCAHY, president of WORK & FAMILY BENEFITS, INC.: "With an effective date of Jan. 1, 2006, and enrollment underway, few resources are available to help an estimated 43 million beneficiaries choose a suitable plan option under the new Medicare D prescription program. While there are a number of Internet sites out there that provide guidance, most do little more than aggregate information. What Medicare recipients and caregivers who assist older parents in the decision-making process need is a robust, interactive Web-based tool that is completely objective, confidential and can match individual needs to the best coverage options."
**13. STRESS: DEALING WITH HOLIDAY STRESS. JAY ZIMMERMAN, psychologist at BALL STATE UNIVERSITY: "While the holidays are supposed to be filled with cheer and festivities, many people will suffer bouts of depression because the season does not live up to their dreams of being perfect. To manage the holidays in a healthy fashion, people should lower expectations about achieving the perfect holiday, avoid or reduce alcohol consumption, continue or start an exercise program, leave uncomfortable gatherings and spend time with friends or relatives you trust."
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