Thursday, July 22, 2004
Atty. Campos should stick to reading the scales of justice
EDITOR:
I have a bone to pick with Professor Paul Campos in regard to his article in the July 8 Vindicator, a veritable bone of contention. Maybe I should rather say that he and I need to "chew the fat." His ridiculous notion that the medical profession's "war on obesity is phony baloney" is itself pure sophistry. Atty. Campos had better stick to a subject that he allegedly knows something about, the law (being a professor of same at the University of Colorado), and keep his erroneous comments regarding the nation's number one health problem tucked away in his uniformed brain where they won't do so much harm to a worthy cause.
Obesity has now tied cigarette smoking for the lead in the list of the causes of preventable death in the United States. The reasons for the increase in the county's gross national weight are numerous (less activity, fast foods, easier work loads, etc.), but the issue is real. Campos avers that diseases associated with obesity are at "all time lows." That is utterly false. For example, there are more diabetics per capita now than at any time in our history.
The Feb. 9, 2004, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine carried an article entitled, "The Escalating Pandemic of Obesity and Sedentary Lifestyle." That does not come close to Campos' suggestion that "medical experts reject the notion that we are in the midst of a public health crisis." Every medical journal that one cares to pick up these days has articles on the need for physicians to pay more attention to this rising problem of obesity. Pediatricians who never used to worry about fat kids are seeing a tremendous rise in the numbers of overweight patients: 15 percent of those between the ages of 6 and 18 as opposed to 5 percent 30 years ago.
The direct annual cost of obesity in the United States is $90 billion in 1995 dollars, and it accounted for 9.4 percent of all health care costs in 2002. It accounts for 280,000 to 320,000 deaths per year. Virtually every organ system in the body is adversely affected by obesity.
Every person within the sight of this letter should attempt to keep his or her body mass index (BMI) below 25. Twenty-five to 29 is considered overweight, 30-plus is obese and 40-plus is morbid obesity. One can calculate one's own BMI by squaring one's height in inches (i.e. 66 x 66) then dividing that figure into one's weight in pounds (i.e. 135). That figure is then multiplied by a constant number (703) and the result is the BMI. With the example figures given, that person would have a BMI of 22, a healthy number.
I hope that someone gets this letter in the hands of law professor Campos so that he can consume a little truth and get out of a field of which he knows so very little. If anything was phony and packed full of baloney, it was his latest article.
C.H. McGOWEN, M.D.
Howland
Lawn man gives neighborsa hand with overgrown lot
EDITOR:
After many calls and contacts with the City of Youngstown, the banking institution that held the mortgage, neighbors and the previous owners, it seemed fruitless to get someone to cut the grass at 2471 Chaney Circle.
We have a very proud and beautiful neighborhood --maintenance of our properties demonstrates this pride. What were we to do? Most of the neighbors have full-time jobs. Some seniors care, but are unable to help themselves, let alone help others.
Lo and behold, Surack Lawn Service was in the area cutting grass and we approached him with our problem. Steve Surack, the owner, was in a community minded spirit this day and volunteered his company to cut the grass. The property now looks presentable and appealing to anyone in the neighborhood and anyone just traveling our area.
This particular problem exists in many neighborhoods; not only in Youngstown, but many suburban communities. The neighbors on Chaney Circle hopefully will join together in continuing in cutting the grass.
We plan on mailing this letter to the financial institution to let them know -- no thanks to them for their efforts in helping with our situation. It would have been just a little "red spot" on their financial statement if they would have taken care of their investment property. It seems like the big guys never want to reach into their pockets to help, unless there is a buck to be made. Shame on them.
AL CHANCE
LOUISE MANCINI DEBELYAK
Youngstown