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The INDEPENDENT, June 18, 2009
To Your Health!
Rx for kids: one hour a day outside
by Chris Thomas, Oregon
News Service
By Judy Hargis, P.A., and Audeen Wagner
GROWTH HORMONES: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY
In the April 10 issue of The Independent, we wrote about the
controversy surrounding the use of growth hormones in dairy cat-
tle, and we got some interesting feedback from a Vernonian who
wanted to “set the record straight.”
Jim Krahn is the Executive Director of the Oregon Dairy Farm-
ers Association, and has many years of experience and consider-
able expertise in the dairy industry.
The first thing he told us is that “there is not a single dairy in the
Northwest that uses the synthetic growth hormone rBGH in their
dairy cows and this has been true for about five years.” That will
be welcome news to those consumers who have reservations
about the safety of milk products they use.
However, the reasons for discontinuing its use, he says, has nothing to do with the things we re-
ported on – danger of contamination, increased illnesses in cows, potential nutrition and health is-
sues for consumers. Jim says that there has been no proof presented for any side-effects from the
use of growth hormones. “All it does,” he states, “is make the cows eat more, which increases milk
production.” Dairy advocates say that no research has confirmed higher cancer rates or any other
health issues for humans. Admittedly, mastitis has been found to occur at higher rates in dairy cows
(attributable to greater milk production), but “appropriate management of a herd can minimize these
problems,” according to an article in Rural Cooperatives.
So, why was there a ban imposed on the use of hormones, if indeed there were no proven bad
effects? “The controversy about growth hormones is not a scientific issue, but an emotional one,”
Jim says. Further, he says that companies who buy products from dairy farmers were under tremen-
dous pressure from advocacy groups whose focus is on animal rights; such groups as Physicians
for Social Responsibility (PSR) and People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) were very per-
sistent and vocal, and were successful in shutting down the use of the hormones in Oregon and
Washington. Tillamook Creamery is a case in point, reporting that they received so many complaints
from the public that they decided to ban the use of the synthetic bovine growth hormone by its pro-
ducer-members, about 147 dairy farmers (“Dairy Dilemma – Ban on rBGH Use by Tillamook Sparks
Conflict” (Rural Cooperatives, Nov/Dec 2006.)
Jim’s view is that the discontinuance of growth hormones in the Northwest was not only unnec-
essary, but was a mistake. The use of growth hormones is a significant factor in the need to “feed
the world,” he adds, and population growth and hunger are global concerns. The use of growth hor-
mones has helped dairy farmers increase their profit; it is logical that those farmers would then be
able to expand their herds and increase production dramatically – 40-50 percent according to some
reports.
As Paul Harvey would say, “Now you know the rest of the story!” Well, not all of it, of course, it is
a huge issue and the debate will no doubt continue. As is true in many cases where views are
sharply divided, there are few black and white answers. There are definitely two sides to this ongo-
ing controversy.
Krahn invites our readers to contact him with comments or questions about the rBGH issue. His
phone is 503-780-9956, email jimk@odfa.org. As always, you can contact us at The Independent,
at health@ the-independent.net.
VERNONIA INN
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Ha pp y
F a th e r ’s D ay
J u ne 2 1
Chasing butterflies, playing
cowboys and Indians, and just
wandering around outside for
at least an hour a day. That’s
the prescription from the Na-
tional Wildlife Federation
(NWF) this summer for Oregon
children who may be experi-
encing “nature deficit disorder”
because they spend so little
time outdoors, compared to
children of a generation ago.
Kevin Coyle, NWF vice pres-
ident for education and train-
ing, says the digital age is one
reason kids spend more time
inside, with some studies
showing children spend six
hours a day in front of the TV or
a video screen.
“By not getting outside,
they're not engaging in relax-
ation, engaging with other kids,
just getting some exercise.
We’re really seeing that Ameri-
can childhood has moved in-
doors.”
Coyle says another reason
children spend more time in-
doors is because parents are
concerned about safety. He
suggests scheduling outings to
playgrounds and group outdoor
play dates to help alleviate
fears about child abductions,
and he points out that stranger
abductions are rare – although
when they do happen, they
make top news stories which
can distort the real risk.
The Oregon legislature is
considering a bill to restore
physical education programs in
schools that have cut those op-
portunities because of money
issues, and Congress is look-
ing at a bill called the “No Child
Left Inside Act” that would fund
environmental education out-
door programs.
Coyle says there are other
ways to help expand outdoor
time for kids, too.
“Increasing the amount of fo-
cus in day care centers on out-
door time for children, returning
recess to schools; there's two
good ways.”
He says the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention
has made a link between less
outdoor time and increased
childhood obesity rates.
More information on outdoor
activities can be found at
www.nwf.org .
Don’t let change keep you down
by the American Counseling
Association
The country seemed to re-
spond positively to the call for
“change” that we heard from
both major parties in the recent
presidential campaign. But
when change comes to our
personal lives, most of us find it
a cause for stress and anxiety.
That’s not surprising. Even
when we’re not totally happy
with the status quo, it may
seem safe and comfortable
compared to the unknowns that
transitions bring.
Learning to handle change
is important. Change can hap-
pen to any of us at any time. It
might be the death of a loved
one, the end of a relationship,
or job or financial changes
brought on by today’s econo-
my.
A first step in handling
change is accepting that, while
it may bring stress and anxiety,
it doesn’t always bring negative
results. Expand your horizons.
The end of a relationship may
actually be an opportunity for
someone new and more excit-
ing to enter your life. The loss
of a job may be the chance to
head in a new, more rewarding
career
direction.
Seeing
change as a possible opportu-
nity rather than a major loss will
have you heading in a positive
direction.
And you don’t need to do it
all alone. An important transi-
tion can leave you feeling over-
whelmed, confused or de-
pressed. That’s when friends or
family members willing to listen
in a safe, non-judgmental way
can help. They may not have
ready answers, but just talking
things through can give you a
new perspective and let you
see situations differently.
It’s also vital to take care of
yourself when facing change.
Eating healthy, exercising regu-
larly and maintaining a normal
schedule can all help reduce
the stress of change. Don’t look
to drugs or alcohol as places to
hide from reality.
Any major change requires
time to think and adjust. While
See Don’t, page 20