Page 14 - Winter2010

Caustic Commentary

Science and Technology, four scientists from the University “We need to stop the notion that fat, cuddly, cute babies are a
of California, San Francisco expressed concerns about the good thing,” says Dr. Jatinder Bhatia, chairman of the nutri-
backscatter X-ray airport security scanners, noting the lack tion committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. But
of safety data and the probable increased risk to the elderly, then Bhatia moans, “I have seen parents putting their infant
children and adolescents, pregnant women, and those at and one-year-old on diets becaus of history [of obesity] of
risk for breast and skin cancer. Potential targets for damage one parent or another.” The experts have lots of suggestions,
include the cornea, the thymus and the sperm. They noted including breastfeeding, frequent checkups at the pediatri-
that while the X-ray dose from these devices has often been cian, and withholding the bottle when baby cries-everything
compared in the media to the cosmic ray exposure inherent but what growing infants really need, that is, nutrient-dense
to airplane travel or that of a chest sacred foods to support the opti-
X-ray, this comparison is very mis- mal development of the endocrine
leading: both the air travel cosmic system and ensure a complete sup-
ray exposure and chest Xrays have ply of nutrients so that overeating
much higher X-ray energies and becomes unnecessary (parentdish.
the health consequences are appro- com, December 1, 2010).
priately understood in terms of the
whole body volume dose. In con- A VICTORY AGAINST GMOs
trast, these new airport scanners On December 1, a federal district
are largely depositing their energy judge issued a preliminary in-
into the skin and immediately ad- junction ordering the immediate
jacent tissue, and since this is such destruction of hundreds of acres of
a small fraction of body weight genetically engineered sugar beet
and volume, possibly by one to Tim Eads churns butter and toasts sourdough bread seedlings planted in September,
with his amazing foot pedal machine at
two orders of magnitude, the real Wise Traditions 2010. after finding the seedlings had
dose to the skin is now high. The been planted in violation of federal
scientists also expressed concern that TSA personnel, already law. Plaintiffs in the case argued that USDA had violated the
complaining about resolution limitations, might be tempted to law by allowing the plantings without analyzing the potential
raise the dose (www.npr.org/assets/news/2010/05/17/concern. environmental, health and socioeconomic impacts of growing
pdf). All passengers have the option to refuse the backscatter GE sugar beets. A ban on the planting of genetically modified
X-ray scan, but the alternative is a body pat down which some alfalfa, imposed in 2007, remains in place (commondereams.
find embarrassing or invasive. Many citizens are just refus- org, December 2, 2010).
ing to fly until the scanning policies are changed. Be sure to
complain to your representative and senators.
FOR SCIENTISTS AND LAy READERS
DIETS FOR BABIES
Traditional wisdom deems a chubby baby a healthy baby, Please note that the mission of the Weston A. Price
a joy to behold, a baby that asks to be cuddled. Now, with Foundation is to provide important information about diet
and health to both scientists and the lay public. For this
USDA focusing its beady eyes on infants as well as children reason, some of the articles in Wise Traditions are neces-
and adults, claiming that obesity starts in the womb, many sarily technical. It is very important for us to describe the
parents are putting their babies on diets. In one extreme case, science that supports the legitimacy of our dietary prin-
a Washington state couple was found gilty of starving their ciples. In articles aimed at scientists and practitioners, we
baby by putting laxatives in her bottle so she wouldn’t gain provide a summary of the main points and also put the
weight. Many parents simply restrict food for their infants, most technical information in sidebars. These articles are
especially healthy fats. How can parents be blamed when balanced by others that provide practical advice to our
they get such mixed messages from the so-called experts? lay readers.
14 Wise Traditions WINTER 2010

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