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Page A4
O pinion
September 30. 2009
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End Childhood Obesity
An epidemic
that’s 100
percent
preventable
by J udge G reg
M athis
A re c e n t study fo u n d that
nearly 80 percent o f children
who w ere obese betw een the
ages o f 10 and 15 w ere also
obese once they reached 25.
O verw eight children and teens
are at risk for developing high
b lood p ressu re and d iab etes
and are more likely to have a
heart attack or stroke in adult­
hood than their thinner coun­
terparts.
Childhood obesity is a grow ­
ing problem , one that must be
put in check. This isn’t about
eas, m ore likely to have an
abundance o f fast food restau­
rants and very few
choices for healthy
eating, can work to ­
gether to provide in­
c e n tiv e s to e n tic e
healthier restaurant
an d g ro c e ry sto re
chains to set up shop in their
communities.
Education leaders m ust en ­
sure that public schools pro­
vide healthy meal choices in
their cafeterias. Poor students,
m any o f w hom are A frican
A m erican, are m ore likely to
eat school lunches. For many,
this is their only com plete meal
o f th e d ay ; it s h o u ld be a
healthy one.
P aren ts have to sh o u ld er
some o f the responsibility as
well.
If we really care about our
children, we 7/ work to ensure that
they avoid the dangers associated
with childhood obesity.
Millions Need Healthcare Reform
E ncourage your children to
aesthetics. It’s about health.
There are a lot o f reasons our play o u td o o rs; tu rn o ff the
kids are overw eight. A m ong te le v isio n s and c o m p u ters.
them is today’s focus on activi­ Parks in most cities offer many
ties such as video gam es and free to low cost fitness and
surfing the w eb that do n ’t re­ sports program fo r children
q u ire young p eo p le to exert and teens; call your local park
m uch physical effort. Com bine district to learn more.
The school year has begun.
th a t w ith u n h e a lth y fo o d
T
here
is no better tim e than
choices, w hether they be quick
now
to
turn our attention to
m eals put to g e th e r by o v e r­
the
health
o f our children.
worked parents or those dished
As
a
com
m unity, it is our
out in school cafeterias, and
y o u ’ve c r e a te d a g ro w in g goal to develop these young
health epidem ic that is 1 (X) per­ p e o p le in to w e ll-ro u n d e d ,
healthy adults. We can all play
cent preventable.
If we really care about our a part in making that happen.
Judge Greg Mathis is vice
children, w e’ll work to ensure
that they avoid the dangers as­ p resident o f Rainbow Push
sociated w ith childhood obe­ and a board member o f the
Southern Christian Leader­
sity.
Political leaders in urban ar- ship Conference.
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Uproar used to cloud the debate
by D r . H enrie M . T readweli .
T he uproar at the raucous
tow n hall m eetings, Rep. Joe
W ilson’s outburst in C ongress
and the en d less d ebate over
w h eth er som e o p p o sitio n to
healthcare reform is racially-
tinged are a m ajor disservice to
the m illions o f A m ericans who
need healthcare reform .
Rep. W ilson d o esn ’t worry
about costs if a m em ber o f his
fam ily falls ill; he is covered.
T h e m a jo rity o f th e p e o p le
scream ing and w aving signs at
tow n hall m eetings d o n ’t worry
either. They are covered. Their
fam ily m em bers w alk into a
doctor’s office or hospital em er­
gen cy room , flash insurance
cards and receive the best treat­
ment available.
But who has been speaking
on behalf of the 46 million unin­
sured A m ericans? W hen they
get sick, there are real conse­
quences. Do they pay the m ort­
gage or the hospital bill? Do
they buy food or save to pay
for the tests that may prolong a
family m em ber’s life?
T h e se are iss u e s th a t d e ­
serve attention from our law ­
m akers and policym akers, not
red herrings like “death panels”
and purported coverage for il­
legal im m igrants. It’s disheart­
e n in g th a t p u b lic o f f ic ia ls
elected to serve their constitu­
ents have the audacity to play
p o litical football w ith so m e­
thing as crucial as healthcare
reform.
O ur nation will have a seri­
ous d iscu ssio n on h ealthcare
reform only w hen the p o liti­
c ia n s p u t th e ir c o n s titu e n ts
ahead o f their desire to m aneu­
ver for political gains. W hat's
Advertise with divei sity
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We are located on the
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w ho
are
u n in s u re d
or
underinsured. The working poor
simply have no or limited options
for providing healthcare for them­
selves and their families. This
predicament devastates com m u­
nities o f color, where more than
seven million African Americans
are without coverage. This is not
a c o n triv e d p ro b le m ; risin g
healthcare costs are a real crisis.
S o w h y , s u d d e n ly , m u st
h ealth care refo rm legislation
b e c o m e a b u d g e t-re d u c tio n
bill?
Instead o f focusing on how
to o b ta in th e b e s t c o v e ra g e
possible for m illions o f people
w ithout insurance, the debate
in C o n g ress h as been tra n s ­
form ed into a referendum on
w hich plan can save g o v ern ­
m ent the m ost money. This is
not how it sh o u ld be. W hen
C o n g ress w as allo catin g b il­
lions o f dollars for the w ar in
?
cluded if it can offer additional
com petition in the m arketplace
and drive dow n the prem ium s
c h a rg e d fo r o th e r in su ran c e
plans.
Now is not the time for ideo­
logical battles over government-
run programs, now is the time
for finding and im plem enting
programs that work, be they gov­
ernment, private or hybrids. The
nation needs programs that re­
duce the cost o f insurance to
consum ers and cover the unin­
sured.
This over em phasis on costs
has led to som e ridiculous pro­
posals that w ould ultim ately be
bad public policy if enacted.
Henrie M. Treadwell is di­
Sen. M ax Baucus, D -M ont„
rector
o f Community Voices, a
for instance, has a plan m an­
n
o
n
p
ro
fit o rg a n iza tio n at
dating that all A m ericans pur­
M
orehouse
School o f M edi­
ch a se h e a lth in su ran c e. B e­
cine
working
to improve health
cause his plan has no public
services
and
health-care
access
option, struggling m iddle-class
fo
r
all
Americans.
families w ould be forced to buy
America Understood Clunkers
Bodes well for
the future of
clean cars
by C ari . P ope
Truly making a difference in the lives of
Auto Accident victims and Injured Workers for 16 years.
If you or someone you know has been in an accident,
call us so we can help you with your needs. (503) 284-7838
W
When lawmakers consider the
cost o f a plan, they need to also
consider the pain and higher cost
caused by their inaction.
health insurance at rates likely
to be difficult for them to pay.
The K aiser Fam ily Founda­
tion recently released data fur­
th e r r e in f o r c in g w h y re a l
healthcare reform m ust be en ­
acted. Already, healthcare co v ­
erage for the average Am erican
family costs $ 13,375 a year, and
health insurance prem ium s in­
creased 138 percent o ver the
last 10 years. At that rate, many
families will suffer financial hard­
ships.
Yet, largely because o f the
d iv e rs io n a ry iss u e s u sed to
clo u d the d eb ate, the public
d o esn ’t focus on the fact that
w e all p ay a p ric e w h en
healthcare costs skyrocket. The
b u s in e s s e s th a t p ay th e
healthcare coverage for 160 mil­
lion A m ericans m ust either de­
d u ct m ore m oney from e m ­
ployee w ages or raise the price
o f their products or services, or
in some cases, do both.
H ealthcare in A m erica is a
train racing tow ard derailment.
W hen law m ak ers co n sid er
the cost o f a plan, they need to
a ls o c o n s id e r th e p ain an d
higher cost caused by their in­
action. They need to hear the
voices of the 46 m illion people
w ho are uninsured. They need
to hear from the people with
soaring m edical bills.
And they need to rem em ber
that if the tow n hall meetings
h ad b e e n p o p u la te d w ith
people w ithout insurance, they
w o u ld w a v e sig n s , s a y in g ,
“H elp M e.”
in
PonlandObsti i 1
Zchon R. Jones, DC
333 NE Russell St., #200, Portland, OR. 97212
(503) 284-7838
so disturbing is
that many oppo­
n e n ts
of
h e a lth c a re r e ­
form, and most
assuredly many
public officials,
are aw are o f the data showing
how quickly healthcare costs
are rising o ut o f control and
dam aging our society.
The reality is that our safety-
net systems are crum bling un­
der the cost of caring for people
Iraq, the focus was on how to
win the war, not on how much
ta x p a y e r m o n e y c o u ld be
saved.
Right now, the nation needs
its leaders, P resident O bam a
and the Congress to focus on
the best plan for the people, re­
gardless o f the cost. T here has
b e e n m u c h d e b a te o v e r
w hether there should be a “pub­
lic option" allowing the govern­
m ent to o ffer insurance. T he
public option should be co n ­
sidered not based on its cost,
but its m erit. It should be in­
Cash for Clunkers
en d ed w ith a ban g
Aug. 24, finishing a
f ra n tic m o n th fo r
d ealers and con su m ers alike.
W hile som e o f us may be re­
lieved that those com m ercials
are at an en d , the p ro g ram 's
p o p u la r ity s h o u ld h a v e us
thrilled.
C lunkers proved to be an in­
triguing governm ent p ro g ra m -
one that bodes well for the fu­
ture o f clean cars and clean en ­
ergy in the U.S.
The Cash for Clunkers pro­
gram did something other than
sell cars: It captured the public's
attention in a way that few gov­
ernment programs have. It was
widely discussed, drew exten­
sive media coverage, and spurred
W hile the fuel econom y re­
a quick rush o f participation.
It successfully labeled once quirem ents allow ed consum ers
desirable SU V s as low-mileage to sim ply replace old guzzlers
hogs. T he program 's un­ with m arginally m ore efficient
said m essage was out with new ones, statistics from the
the old, inefficient thing, in D epartm ent o f T ransportation
w ith the new, cleaner one. show that consum ers did not
T he m ere inclusion o f do that. Although not all sales
fuel economy requirements d ata is in and there is m uch
in the program created a dis­ analysis still to be done, co n ­
cussion at dinner tables and w a­ su m e rs p u rch a sed a v eh icle
ter coolers across the co u n try - that was, on average, 9.2 m iles
was your old vehicle guzzling per gallon better than their trade
enough fuel to be a clunker, and in v e h ic le - a 58 p ercent im ­
how much better did your new provem ent.
U nder Clunkers, m ost co n ­
v e h ic le n ee d to be to g et a
su
m e rs d ro v e g a s -g u z z lin g
voucher?
trucks
and SUV s onto lots and
A m erican consum ers got it.
drove
o
ff with much better ve­
T hey w anted to save m oney
hicles,
m ostly cars. Som e 84
and reduce our dependence on
percent
o f trade-ins were trucks
oil, and w hen given the oppor­
and
SUVs,
w hile 59 percent of
tunity they tended to purchase
purchased
vehicles
were cars.
vehicles that will do that.
Carl Pope is executive direc­
O ver a frantic m onth, co n ­
sum ers were in the driver's seat to r o f the S ierra Club, a
when it came to making the most grassroots environmental or­
ganization.
out o f the program.
I