The Aral Sea is in the Republics of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It is largely shallow with many lagoons and islands and was once the world’s fourth largest body of inland water. Today, it is the eighth largest, and one of our greatest ecological disasters.

In the 1960′s increasing amounts of water were diverted from the Aral Sea to the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers for irrigation of rice and cotton crops. Over the years, the Aral Sea has retreated by as much as a hundred meters, leaving a vast area littered with abandoned fishing boats and other marine equipment.

Photo credit: upyernoz

Because the volume of water has shrunk so much, the salt in the water has risen to toxic levels, 23% in the late 1980′s. Once carp, bream, sturgeon, pike-perch and other fish provided a good living for commercial fishermen. Others made a living trapping muskrats. By 1982, all commercial fishing had ended and about 60,000 people lost their livelihoods.

With 500 species of birds, 100 species of fish and 200 species of mammals, the Aral Sea Basin had a diversity of wildlife that compared with Africa. Most of these animals have now died.

Every year the prevailing northeast wind carries over one hundred million tons of salt-laden, fertilizer- and pesticide-contaminated dust from the former sea. This dust has been found in Antarctic penguins. The same deadly mix has filtered into the ground water and into irrigation water.

Hospitalization rates have risen dramatically and the mortality rate has gone up by fifteen times in a ten year period. Local child mortality, due to the deterioration of the environment, is higher than anywhere else in the former Soviet Union.

The remnant of the Aral Sea has been divided by a dam. The North Aral Sea has seen an increase in water level due to many large international projects. The success there has given some hope for the South Aral Sea, which had been abandoned to its fate.

Most of us have heard stories of some unsuspecting child or fisherman happening upon a frog that seems completely healthy, except for the fact that it has no legs or an extra eye. At one time, these stories were deemed as oddities or unusual, freak occurrences. Now, however, malformed frogs are much more common than once thought and are real life indicators of significant problems in our environment.

It is true that some variations of morphological abnormalities are expected among the world’s vast amphibian population, including more than 4,000 species of frogs and toads. These anticipated abnormalities, however, are typically due to some type of trauma, developmental problems and mutations rather than environmental factors.

The United States is home to roughly 230 amphibian species, which includes 90 frog and toad species. Beginning in the early 90s, in several of Minnesota’s wetlands, malformation rates were found to be between 30 to 50%. With the typical, expected malformation rate between zero and two percent, this finding was cause for concern. Once Minnesota’s frog problems were unearthed, elevated malformation rates were discovered in 56 of the United States’ native species and in 48 states.

While these abnormalities are often referred to as “deformities,” most of the abnormalities found are actually “malformations.” Notably, there is a real difference between the two conditions. Deformation is the process of disfiguring or distorting an already existing body part while malformation is the process of disrupting a normally-formed body part or organ during those vital first stages of development.

The malformations most commonly reported by herpetologists involve missing legs, extra legs and paralyzed or misshapen legs. Also seen are frogs with legs that are fused against the frog’s body, webbed together with extra skin or split into two new legs halfway down.

Images of malformed frogs

Other malformations are also reported. Frogs with missing or extra eyes, as well as eyes that are unusual in size, shape and location have also been found. Misshapen jaws and incomplete tail absorption have also been documented.

Because frogs are extremely sensitive to their environments, they have long been considered the “canary in a coal mine” for environmental disasters. In the past, before better methods had been developed, coal miners commonly relied upon canaries to detect toxic or explosive gases in mines. These delicate birds are more sensitive to toxic gases than we are and would collapse long before any miners were affected. A collapsed canary made the perfect alarm for miners to get out immediately and for management to investigate the noxious problem and fix it.

As with the coalmining canaries, frogs are especially vulnerable to the environment in which they live. Frogs are especially sensitive to pollution and other environmental stressors. They live at the meeting place of two very different environments, the land and the water, and easily absorb damaging pollutants directly through their skin.

As human beings, we breathe through our lungs, which are obviously tucked safely inside our bodies. Our bodies provide much protection from direct contact with polluted air and contaminated water. Although some amphibians do breathe completely through their skin, the majority breathe and receive their oxygen partially through their skin, which is always open to the elements. Whether breathing partially or completely through their skin, the amphibian body is much more vulnerable and susceptible to outside factors, including diseases, toxic chemicals, ionizing radiation (UV-B) from the sun and habitat destruction.

Because of this special vulnerability, we continue to see an increasing numbers of malformed frogs along with a steadily decreasing population of frogs, and amphibians as a whole. Like the coalminers, this should be our alarm to look into and fix this problem. This complex problem, however, will not be easy to remedy because there are several possible contributing causes.

Photo Credit: Hamed Saber

Consider this. Amphibians are such effective indicators of significant environmental variations that many ecological problems may go undetected by our human eyes until significant environmental damage has occurred. The current worldwide amphibian population is declining and the number of bodily malformations is increasing. This may be an early warning to us – an early warning of serious ecosystem imbalances.

WHAT’S TO BLAME

First, consider the extensive use of pesticides across the United States. The chemical runoff collecting in the vast Midwestern farmlands is causing much damage to frog populations. Not only do excessive pesticides and other xenobiotic chemicals affect the sexual development of frogs, but it also makes them more susceptible to often fatal bacterial meningitis as well as some dangerous, parasitic fungi.

Scientists have confirmed that agricultural contaminants may be an important factor in amphibian declines in California. According to an article recently accepted by the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, a study by scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that organophosphorus pesticides from agricultural areas, which are transported to the Sierra Nevada on prevailing summer winds, may be affecting populations of amphibians that breed in mountain ponds and streams.
USGS

Studies at the University of California Berkeley have been conducted on delicate developing tadpoles. The tadpoles were reared in a watery environment contaminated with a mixture of nine pesticides, fungicides and herbicides – chemicals commonly found in ponds located close to Midwestern cornfields.

The evidence showed that polluted tadpoles take longer to complete their metamorphosis into adult frogs. Because of this delay, they are smaller, which makes it harder for them to catch and eat their prey and turns them into easier prey for other animals. Research also showed that these frogs had increased levels of a stress hormone that causes holes to develop in the thymus gland, which likely causes an impaired immune response to disease.

Photo Credit: Stadtwald

Pesticides are just one factor causing the decline of amphibian populations. This problem is the result of a combination of factors. Excessive chemical applications, the introduction of nonnative predators and competitors, increasing levels of ultraviolet light and global warming, acid rain, mercury pollution, eradication of wetlands and overall habitat destruction are all contributing to the decline of the frog.

While it is a natural occurring process for amphibian populations to fluctuate according to environmental conditions, such as rainfall amounts, the human population is the most likely component to the amphibian malformation and population decline.

Humans have the capability to improve or correct environmental problems. We also possess the ability to exacerbate the same ecological problems at local, regional and global levels. It’s up to us!

On November 4, 2005, federal health officials warned California farmers to improve the safety standards of the produce they grow. This warning came just shy of a year before the most recent E. coli contaminated spinach outbreak, which was officially announced by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) on September 14. This announcement advised that already 50 people in eight states had already been infected by E. coli as the result of bagged fresh spinach contamination.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declared that all fresh spinach is again safe for human consumption. However, this outbreak was not the first time we saw this type of E. coli contamination and will not be the last. Dating back to 1995, this most recent E. coli poisoning episode is the 20th occurrence linked to spinach, lettuce and other salad greens.

This type of bacterial contamination has been happening for many years, and the problem does not appear to be going away any. This new outbreak is especially nasty as it involves a particularly dangerous strain of the bacteria – Escherichia coli 0157:H7.

Individuals infected with Escherichia coli 0157:H7 will typically begin experiencing symptoms between two to eight days after exposure to the bacteria. The infected person will experience severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Although, occasionally, E. coli 0157:H7 causes non-bloody diarrhea or no noticeable symptoms. Typically, there will be little or no fever present.

The symptoms of E. coli 0157:H7 usually begin to resolve within five to 10 days. For some individuals, particularly children under five years of age and the elderly, E. coli can cause a severe complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). When HUS is present, the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail. In the United States, HUS is the primary cause of acute kidney failure in children, with most HUS cases being caused by E. coli O157:H7.

We all have a form of E. coli bacteria in our intestinal tracts, which aid our bodies in converting our food into useful vitamins and nutrients. However, E. coli 0157:H7 is a particularly dangerous strain from the Enterobacteriaceae family. In fact, it is the exact same strain found in Washington state’s E. coli outbreak in 1993, which involved beef served at Jack in the Box restaurants. That outbreak alone infected 700 people and killed four.

So far and as October 6th, 199 people have been infected with E. coli O157:H7 in 26 states. Among the ill, 102 have been hospitalized, 31 have developed HUS and at least three people have died as a result of this food contamination.

There are additional deaths, which officials consider “suspect cases.” Suspect cases are not known to have been infected with the outbreak strain, so are not included in the confirmed case count. Stool sampling can be done to determine whether or not the E. coli present in the stool sample has the “DNA fingerprint” of the potentially deadly 0157:H7 strain.

With such a serious epidemic of contaminated produce recurring over the years, there are obvious problems with farming regulations. One problem is that the FDA is unable to regulate farms until people actually start getting sick. The FDA must attempt to manage hazards, such as E. coli contamination, by asking the produce growing industry to make voluntary changes. It is obvious that voluntary compliance is not the answer.

The initial thought is that the agency needs to be equipped with better tools of detection, stronger authority to take preventative actions prior to outbreaks along with more people and resources to enforce rules both on farms and in packing and processing plants.

The FDA may want to learn a vital lesson from the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA, after severe E. coli outbreaks involving beef during the mid-1990s, took a necessary and powerful action. The department implemented new, more rigorous rules and quality standards.

For the beef industry, the problem of E. coli in ground beef has dramatically declined. To the contrary, the produce producing industry, being regulated by the FDA, has seen a continual rise in the number of E. coli cases over this same time period.

One reason may have to do with cooking. With meat, proper cooking will kill any dangerous bacteria. But, no one wants to cook their salads. While washing our veggies will reduce bacteria, it will not completely eliminate or kill it.

This is the very reason why the produce farms need to be the ones held accountable for the contamination of their produce. There is no household resolution for this problem, which means the solution must come from the farms, before the produce ever finds it way to our supermarkets.

Going back to 1998, the FDA issued “Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fruits and Vegetables.” The Guide contained voluntary guidelines, which were supposed to help farmers and produce packing plants implement safety practices. Even with knowledge of the contamination problem, the FDA only relied on these voluntary measures. As you can guess, the safety practices were not implemented on any notable scale.

CONTAMINATION CULPRIT

The FDA has announced that, so far, all spinach associated with the most recent E. coli outbreak has been traced to Natural Selection Foods, LLC located in sunny San Juan Bautista, California. This discovery was based on laboratory as well as epidemiological evidence obtained by several states and coordinated by the CDC. Natural Selection Foods issued a recall of 34 brands of suspect fresh spinach products on September 15.

These products were distributed throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. According to Natural Selection, all of the contaminated produce was non-organic spinach. The company packages both conventionally grown and organic spinach at the San Juan Bautista, California plant, although they are handled in separate areas. States feeling the effects of this outbreak include California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

Four other companies also issued secondary recalls as a result of receiving their fresh spinach directly from Natural Selection. It is noteworthy to mention that spinach processed by other produce plants have not been involved in the outbreak.
As history shows, since 1995, there have been 19 other food poisoning outbreaks connected to fresh spinach and lettuce. Of these 19, at least eight were definitively linked to produce grown in California’s Salinas Valley. In all, these outbreaks involved greater than 400 illnesses and two deaths.

Further investigations are underway by the State of California, the CDC, the FDA and the USDA. These investigations include continued inspections and environmental sample collections in produce facilities, the surrounding environment and water as well as assessments of animal management and water contamination.

The FDA’s investigation has focused on spinach growers in three California counties. Monterey, San Benito and Santa Clara have been under strong scrutiny. Aside from Natural Selection Foods, River Ranch Fresh Foods has been named as a second company implicated in the outbreak.

According to the FDA, River Ranch acquired salad greens, including spinach, from the first company offender; Natural Selection. River Ranch’s spinach was passed on to the public using the brand names Farmers Market, Hy-Vee as well as Fresh and Easy.

Natural Selection initially denied allegations that its packaged spinach, which were sold under such brand names as Dole, Earthbound Farm and Trader Joe’s, was a responsible party in the outbreak. However, many of the consumers stricken by E. coli O157:H7 have said they ate one of these brand named spinach products prior to becoming ill.

The FDA also contends that detecting and pinpointing the exact source of E. coli contamination is often very tricky. In many cases, the cause of the outbreak is never truly known, although likely culprits are suspected.

What typically happens during the investigations following an E. coli outbreak is the process of talking to the victims, if they are physically able to communicate with investigators. This method, called the epidemiological method, is an expected and accepted tool used by public health agencies, especially since no physical evidence remains after contamination and chemical testing is usually futile.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

E. coli, which travels via animal feces, can contaminate produce by getting into water used in farming irrigation. Aside from feces contaminating the water used in farming, animal manure used in organic farming as natural forms of fertilizer is also a good source of E. coli contamination. This could mean a lot to farmers who make their living growing and selling organic foods.

As it turns out, fresh produce is often contaminated with Salmonella, E. coli as well as a variety of other potentially deadly microorganisms. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), produce effluence comes from the use of irrigation water sickened by fecal waste from animal agriculture farms, the use of untreated, natural manure fertilizer and the accidental exposure to dangerous bacteria at the processing plants.

California animal and produce farmers as well as food safety officials have a lot on their plate when it comes to preventing future E. coli contamination. So far, no particular instance of E. coli sickness has been linked to one particular farmland, which was irrigated by any one river.

Additionally, no concise evidence has been presented charging Natural Selection Foods, or any other processing plant investigated, with failing to use proper handling methods.

In fact, this particular E. coli outbreak may have little to do with the farmers who grow the produce and the processing plant workers. A strong link naturally leads right back to what many would consider a dissimilar food industry – cattle farms.

Consider first that E. coli is typically a harmless germ found in vast numbers in the guts of all healthy humans and cows. Usually, if you are exposed to the typical, most common strains of E. coli, the acid in your digestive tract will attack and usually be strong enough to kill it. In other words, you won’t get sick.

The problem with this most recent outbreak, however, is that E. coli O157:H7 can be deadly for humans. The acid in our stomachs is usually not strong enough to eliminate this microbe, which can result in the onset of physical symptoms and, in some cases, death.

One vital fact to remember is that not all cattle farms contribute to the contamination of E. coli 0157:H7. In fact, 0157:H7 is not even found in the gut of cows raised on a natural diet consisting of hay, grass and other fibrous feeds.

O157:H7 does live in the unnaturally acidic digestive tracts of cows fed on grain, which is the classic ration on most industrial cattle farms. As a result of this diet, the contaminated cow manure pollutes the groundwater and transfers the dangerous bacteria to produce, such as spinach, being grown on surrounding farms.

Because bacteria thrive in water and past E. coli outbreaks have been linked to tainted water in the Salinas Valley, produce farmers must ensure that their irrigation water for crops is not derived from sources containing runoff from cattle farms.

The Journal of Dairy Science reported in 2003 that as much as 80 percent of all American dairy cows carry E. coli 0157:H7. The Journal’s report also proposed a means of prevention based on straightforward research. When cows were fed a diet of hay, instead of grain, for just five short days, the presence of E. coli 0157:H7 in the animals’ digestive tracts declined 1,000-fold.

Does this mean that the 1993 outbreak involving the Jack in the Box restaurants could have been prevented? It is suggested that if the diet of beef cattle was changed, from grain to grass and hay seven days before slaughter, there would be a noticeable reduction in E. coli contamination from manure.

It would take much more than just a week to diminish contamination in ground and floodwaters as well as rivers, which are the main irrigation sources for California’s spinach farms. Much needs to be done to prevent future food poisoning caused by E. coli-infected feces originating from industrialized cattle farms.

What this means to taxpayers is that we are currently funding agricultural policies that treat the symptoms of this pollution problem, but does not offer a solid solution. Currently, the USDA recognizes the hazards associated with the vast amount of contaminated animal waste. The Department shells out roughly 75 percent of the confinement cattle farmers’ costs of building watertight manure pits.

The one truly long-term fix for this problem is obvious, although not likely to occur. Farmers need to stop feeding grain to their cows and give them a more natural diet, which will be better for the health of the cattle as well as to the consumers.

CAN’T BLAME IT ON THE COWS ALONE

Because E. coli can be spread numerous ways, the diet of dairy and beef cattle is not the sole contributor to this problem. In addition to manure and contaminated irrigation water, E. coli can be spread by farmhands using the field as a toilet, by insufficient produce washing by processors and by inadequate refrigeration, which promotes bacteria growth in the sealed bags of fresh salad greens.

Although California produce farmers are required by law to provide hand washing and toilet facilities for all of their field workers, the workers are not always willing or able to get to these facilities and still meet their employer’s work requirements. Even though the bathroom facilities are supposed to be within either a five-minute walk or one-quarter mile from the work site, workers, for whatever reason, do not always utilize these facilities.

Once harvested, the spinach is transported to a packing plant to be washed with water containing chlorine and another similar chemical. These chemicals are not supposed to destroy any bacteria already on the produce. They are only intended to prevent already contaminated plants from passing the pollution to other healthy plants. Once washed, the produce is then bagged and sealed.

Next come the refrigerated trucks and warehouses, which are responsible for keeping the harvested produce cold. When not kept cold enough, E. coli will thrive in the neatly sealed plastic bags.

It is clear that there are many players in the potentially deadly, food poisoning threat associated with E. coli 0157:H7. Until all players are working on the same team, these devastating outbreaks will continue.
While it may not be possible to prevent all E. coli 0157:H7 outbreaks, dramatic improvements in prevention and in the current methods of farming plants and animals are an absolute must.

In 1964, a report produced by the Tennessee Department of Public Health stated that the Chattanooga Creek was “without a doubt, the most grossly polluted stream in the Chattanooga area.”

In 1969, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare determined that Chattanooga, Tennessee had the poorest air quality in the nation. This was due, in large part, to a heavy manufacturing industry that included chemicals and pesticides.

Many cities have faced these same challenges. Many cities still do. But Chattanooga’s responses and solutions have been unique, and very successful.

One of the first things the city did was create, and have approved by the state, the Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau. The Bureau was charged with establishing air quality regulations for the city. In an effort to ensure compliance of these regulations, the Bureau worked directly with the manufacturing sector. At the time, the primary need was for smokestack “scrubbers”, which remove most of the toxic by-products typically released by industrial smokestacks.

The manufacturing sector responded quickly and creatively. Not only did they agree to the $40 million in renovations that was needed, but local entrepreneurs chose to build the scrubbers in town. Today the scrubbers are still being manufactured, and are being exported worldwide. Thus, a profitable industry was created, while simultaneously improving air quality.

The city began holding “community visioning” meetings, seeking resident assistance with the environmental and economic troubles it was facing. One outcome of those meetings was the creation of the Moccasin Bend Task Force. This task force studied the 22-mile long Tennessee River and, with the input of hundreds of local citizens, developed the Tennessee River Park Master Plan. The Master Plan eventually resulted in the development of a 23-mile River Walk. The city maintains it through a yearly River Rescue clean-up effort, and it has enabled Chattanooga residents and tourists to enjoy the river again. The Master Plan didn’t just focus on the banks of the Tennessee River. It also included strategies for cleaning up and beautifying the banks of the creeks that feed into the river. In addition, a water treatment facility was built farther upstream, to aid in purifying the streams and lake. Now, where “no swimming” signs used to be the prominent feature, you can instead see people swimming, boating, or simply walking along the river’s edge.

From the river, the environmental revitalizing moved to the downtown district. Trees were planted along the streets. Not just for aesthetic purposes, but to help reduce pollution. The trees are purchased from a local, private nursery. Street pavers were built to help reduce the effects of storm water run-off. Air and traffic pollution have been reduced with the introduction of an electric mass transit system. The technology and vehicles were developed and built locally, and are now being exported globally. People who work downtown can park in garages at the edge of the downtown district, then take electric shuttles to their final destinations. The money generated from the parking garages helps cover the cost of the electric vehicles.

One of the most aggressive and innovative projects is the South-Central business district. Being built as an eco-industrial park, the goal is zero emissions. This means that the waste products from one industry become resources for another within the district.

Chattanooga has excelled at developing a sustainable community, because it has re-integrated the human element. At the heart of most of its initiatives has been the Chattanooga citizens themselves. The community vision meetings were the cornerstone for most of the changes that have been made. But the citizens don’t just offer ideas, they help implement and maintain them. This is done, not only through clean-up efforts like River Rescue, but also through everyday activities. The Orange Grove Recycling Center is a perfect example.

Though it could use machinery to separate the recyclable materials that come in from the nearly 60,000 homes and municipal drop-off sites, the Center instead employs about 100 developmentally disabled adults. Not only does manual sorting reduce industrial pollution, but it also gives an often-ignored part of the population a sense of purpose and belonging. The workers are paid for their time, and are given the opportunity to become and integral part of this community’s sustained environment.

Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise was yet another result of the community vision meetings. It is currently creating a mixed-use, mixed-income development in a part of downtown Chattanooga’s Southside district. Included is an elementary school that will allow children in the area to walk to school for the first time in years.

While most cities, nationally and globally, make an effort to reduce negative affects on the environment; few (if any) have attained the level of success enjoyed by Chattanooga. Here, industry is not the enemy, but instead has offered viable and effective solutions. Here, the citizen and the government official aren’t at odds. Rather, they work together to creatively address the environmental challenges the city has faced.

Chattanooga has become one of the few cities designated as an EPA attainment city. This has been due, in large part, to combined efforts of Chattanooga citizens and city officials.

From “most polluted city in the nation” to one of the best (possibly the best) models of an environmentally healthy and sustainable city, in under 40 years. Not bad.

Sources: Chattanooga Horizon Plan 2010, RiverCityCompany.com, CneInc.org

With that great American crop, corn, threatened, so was the livelihood of our all-American corn farmers. Enter High Fructose Corn Syrup – the new sweetener that would drive up demand for corn and provide a super cheap new form of sweetener for packaged foods, breads, cereals, sodas, spaghetti sauce, ketchup – you name it, HFCS would be in it. The future looked sweet indeed.



More stable than sugar against the disintegrating elements (such as moisture), foods with High Fructose Corn Syrup can literally travel thousands of miles and sit on the shelf of your local convenience store forever and (almost) never go bad. Cheaper ingredients meant cheaper groceries for the good American consumer. A win- win situation, it seemed.

Because of the unusually long shelf life of HFCS, store-bought cakes, cookies, brownies, mixes, breads, sodas, juices, tomato sauce and all of the rest could be sold with practically no expiration date. HFCS, despite misleading labels that read “all natural,” is an ENTIRELY man-made substance. It’s almost indestructible. Like Styrofoam, eternal and immortal.

The pornographic underbelly of all this (and there always is one, it seems, where money and government and conflicting desires come into play) is that in laboratory tests High Fructose Corn Syrup causes male rats to never fully develop their testicles. And High Fructose Corn Syrup also causes the hearts of female rats to expand until they burst. Exit pornography, enter horror flick.

But is this a rat tragic story or a human tragedy? Well, hold into your seats because the seemingly innocuous little sweet nothings that Secretary Butz so gracefully introduced to our bellies in the seventies are now linked to obesity, diabetes, and yes, even cirrhosis of the liver. And as if the above were not enough, there is also some preliminary evidence that HFCS is carcinogenic.

In his groundbreaking book FatLand, Greg Critser breaks down exactly how HFCS is metabolized by the human body. In short, because our bodies have absolutely no way of understanding this highly engineered substance…they convert it into storage material and chuck it away…hence we are fattened up.

The explanation goes like this: glucose molecules, which are the building blocks of sucrose, can be metabolized (used, eaten) by any and every cell in the human body. This is not so with Fructose. It has to be metabolized through the liver. Hence, your liver ends up releasing triglycerides into your bloodstream and generally has trouble dealing with this weird substance. Fructose, which used to be advised for diabetics because it did not stimulate insulin production, really does appear to do a lot of fancy footwork with enzymes and other hormones, too. It does not allow the release of the hormone that tells the brain you are full. Hence, you overeat.

Now, what about the HFCS advocates who maintain that High Fructose Corn Syrup really is an “all-natural ingredient” because, they say, it is made from corn and fructose is the sugar naturally occurring in fruit? Well, wine and isopropyl alcohol both contain alcohol. However, the rubbing stuff for cotton balls should never go in your wineglass. Get it?

Let’s look a little more closely at how this stuff is made. Saying that HFCS is an all- natural substance is like saying two celebrities naturally bumped into each other and fell in love – when more often their PR agents set them up. HFCS is set up as follows: Corn starch is boiled, distilled, and generally messed with until you get a corn syrup with a big jacked-up amount of fructose…HFCS could have as little as 45% fructose or as much as 85%…the “hard stuff”…

So, the absolutely spine-tingling fact is that shortly after the 1970s, and especially throughout the 1980s, HFCS began to replace sucrose (table sugar, cane sugar, or beet sugar) in almost everything. This means that for the last 25 years — a lifetime for some reading this — this jacked-up, messed up “all-natural” toxic sweetener has been in all of our foods as we developed into the fat ADD-riddled little monsters that we are.

Too often we as consumers are under the spell of the idea that our health depends on our own free will. That is, what we do or do not do for ourselves makes all the difference in our health. Watching a new commercial for Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers on TV, I am struck by how easy, offhand and rampant this assumption is. If only each American could do their part to reverse the obesity epidemic through personal self-control and initiative? And yet this is not entirely true. What we don’t know can hurt us.

I heard recently the claim that health depends less on how we take care of ourselves than how we take care of each-other. This speaks directly to the need for more accurate public health and nutrition information and corporate responsibility. The Land of the free? I don’t know. Freedom from accurate information, freedom from healthy food…these do not really seem like freedoms at all.

Watching the food channel, I recently heard that the most delicious pork comes from Spain, where the swine are fattened up on an all-corn diet. This little tidbit reminded me of we Americans. Surely Americans are often enough referred to as pigs, but who knew we held so much in common with this lowly animal? It seems we and they are being fattened up for some strange slaughter yet to come.