^ There has been a 971%
increase in breast-implant
removals from 1996-1998.
- Health Magazine, Jan-Feb 00
j/ As many as 50 million
Americans aged six and above
have high blood pressure. •’
- University Health Center
^ Men have suicide rates that
are 12 times the rate for
women.
- U.S. Department of Health, Mortality
Statistics
,/ The skin cancer death rate
for men is twice as high as it
is for women.
- Center for Disease Control
^ There are 35 different club
sports at the University of
Oregon.
^ 83% of child molesters are
heterosexual; the remaining
17% are bisexual.
- Why Men Rape
v For years following a rape,
60 % of rape victims experi
ence post traumatic stress dis
order and 16%> still suffer
with emotional problems 15
years following the rape.
- HRS Rape Awareness
^ Number of annual office
visits Americans make to
physicians (all ayes): 300
million.
- FA Stats
^ Number of suryical proce
dures performed annually in
the U.S.: 16 million.
- Advance Data
^ Number of cases of
Chlamydia reported in the
U.S.: 526,653.
- Health, United States: 1997
^ More than 12 million new
cases of STIs (other than
AIDS) are diaynosed each
year in the United States.
- National Center for HIV, STD & TB
Prevention Facts
60% of Americans believe
that sex education should be a
required school subject.
- The Gallup Organization
j/ Contrary to the myth that
it’s a man’s disease, cardio
vascular disease actually kills
43,000 more women than men
each year.
- American Heart Association
Americans consume nearly
20 billion hot doys each year.
The Fourth of July is the
biyyest hot doy holiday in the
U.S. with 155 million con
sumed on that day alone.
- National Hot Dog and Sausage Council
The good, the had, and the genetically different:
Is it ‘Frankenfood’?
Genetically modified foods can be more
nutritional and more resistant to
common crop diseases; they may also be
making their way to your grocery store
and your favorite restaurant soon.
By Christopher Ouellette
Genetically modified foods have ar
rived. And what is a genetically modified
finr\r\ \70ii •moirVio oelrit-irf
yourself? The Institute
of Food Technologies
defines the term “ge
netically modified”
as “the application
of DNA technolo
gy to the genetic al
teration of mi
croorganisms,
plants, and ani
mals.” Although,
the debate over
GMOs or Geneti
cally Modified Or
ganisms has only re
cently heated up,
crops have been geneti
cally modified through
traditional plant breeding
for more than a hundred years.
About half of the soybean and a
quarter of the corn crops planted on US soil in
1999 had been genetically modified.
The benefits to biotechnology in agriculture
and medicine are numerous. The first biotech
nology products were medicines designed to ad
dress human diseases. Researchers are also try
ing to create ways to boost the nutritional values
of food in today’s “fast food” society. Along with
improving the nutritional value of food, re
searchers are modifying crops, such as wheat, to
grow in areas that formerly were not arid
enough. Farmers may benefit because they may
be able to rely less upon insecticides and herbi
cides to protect their crops, if genetic modifica
tions can make them more resistant to disease.
Simply put, GMO technology is the most
promising and advanced strategy available
L today for increasing global food production
and conserving rarm
lands by reducing crop
losses and increasing
yields while.
Some of the most
common genetical
ly engineered crops
today are cotton,
corn, soybean,
W ^ I tomato, and potato.
M m Com, for instance,
■ m , can credit its bright
W J m l yellow color to ge
' ^ M / netic engineering.
Genetic modifica
tion can be as simple
as grafting two differ
ent apple tress together
or as complex as remov
ing the protein component
that causes people’s allergic re
action to rice. Most cheese today is pro
duced with an engineered enzyme called chy
mosin. Prior to the creation of chymosin, its
natural equivalent, rennet, was derived from the
stomachs of calves.
The biotechnology industry doesn’t go with
out some monitoring and regulations. The Feder
al government has a system to ensure that the in
dustry is acting within guidelines set forth by
such agencies as the Food & Drug Administra
tion (FDA) and the USDA. The FDA ensures
that foods derived from new plant varieties are
safe to eat, holding them to the same standards of
safety as any traditional food product. The US
has taken a position at the forefront of this new
technology, and with that, has limited its trade
possibilities with other countries. Opposition to
biotechnology in many European countries has
been visible and vocal, and it has received exten
sive media attention around the world. The reac
tion to biotechnology in the UK can be attributed
to its citizen’s lack of trust in their government
that has come about from such recent safety con
cerns as “mad cow” disease.
Some common concerns attributed to biologi
cally altered food arise from organic farmers and
from religious organizations. Organic farmers
are concerned that if their crops are next to a
field that has modified crops that what may oc
cur if there is run off or pollination between
fields. And religious groups are arguing that a
higher power has put eveiything on the earth for
a purpose, and altering that is destructive. For all
advances in technology there have always been
concerns and downsides, but like many others
hopefully this advancement will lead to the bet
terment of our food supply.
At some point in the near future, you just
might be able to eat an orange that has all the nu
trients of a multi vitamin or a slice of pizza will
be recommended for one’s nutritional needs for
the day. The sky is the limit for the biotechnolo
gy industry and its discoveries. If you are inter
ested in learning more about this “ new” science
the following links contain a plethora of infor
mation
http://www.fda.gov www.fda.gov
http://Www.aphis.usda.gov.biotechnology
www.aphis.usda.gov.biotechnology.
Being a man:
The male health perspective
The average college male will live seven years less than
the woman sitting next to him in class. The key to living
longer, healthier life is to start now_
By Eric Sangster
Is it ever a wonder that men do not live as long as women do on average?
Perhaps women have some genetic advantage over men and are less vulner
able to certain diseases. The most probable reason why women live an aver
age of seven years longer than men, is they simply take better care of them
selves. Guys, let’s be honest with ourselves. Now that no* one is around to
tell us to go to the doctor, we don’t. I’m just as guilty myself. Lately, I’ve only
seen doctor to fill out health forms for specific programs.
At some point in our lives, it became more masculine to ignore our
health rather than to acknowledge that, at times we need help. We often
fear that asking for help makes us appear weak. We’d rather be tough by
showing off our scars, boasting of good health without check-ups, and by
physically beating on other males. Toughness and masculinity is what often
keeps men out of health centers and doctors’ offices. But what should it
matter at the young healthy age of a college male? We have healthy
physiques, can eat and drink whatever we want, live off of little sleep and
still function fine. Right? Why would we ever need to go to a clinic?
Perhaps that’s what Josh Bidwell, former punter for the U of O and
Lance Armstrong, winner of the 1999 & 2000 Tour de France thought.
Both of these men are professional athletes who never counted on being af
fected by testicular cancer. Both men were in their mid-twenties when they
discovered the disease.
Often times, when something does go wrong with the bodies of males,
we say, “ suck it up.” We believe that the pain or the bruise will just go away.
Pain tolerance becomes a measurement of masculinity and, participating in
activities that have a high risk for causing this pain can further define this
toughness and what it means to “ be a man.” Based on men’s health statis
tics from the U of O Health Center survey, men comprise the majority of the
smokers, heavy drinkers and carriers of weapons.
National statistics from the U.S. Department of Health indicate, men
have higher rates for all the leading causes of death. Cancer death rates for
men have increased more than 20 % over the last 35 years, according to the
American Cancer Society.
Paying attention to your health as a male is not a sign of weakness. Here
are some things that you can do just to keep yourself in check.
Going in for a physical once a year is a good idea. Often cost is a concern
and it seems like a waste of time if you feel healthy. Yet for U of O students,
it only costs six dollars to see a practitioner at the University Health Center.
Get your cholesterol checked. It only takes a few minutes and once you
have the results, you have access to people who can council you. It’s free on
Tuesdays from 9:30-11:30 at the Peer Health Education Office.
Getting an influenza shot once a year is not always necessary, but is
a good idea especially if you’re living on campus. You at least make
yourself walk into the Health Center and see what other types of
resources you have access to.
If nothing else, try educating yourself. Read books, articles, and maga
zines. Pay attention to seminars, conferences, or activities around campus.
The more you understand about your health, the more inclined you’ll be to
know when something has gone wrong. Check the library within in the
Health Education office at the Health Center.
The bottom line is, guys, we have got to pay attention to our health. A
healthy life doesn’t mean a life without fun. It may even be more fun, espe
cially down the road. Keeping check on your health is not wimpy, helpless,
or weak. It’s smart. We males are not invincible, even though we’d like to
believe so. We are in control of our bodies. Therefore, we have to start keep
ing tabs on our bodies.
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