Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: mph who wrote (13390)	2/27/2006 11:22:39 AM
From: epicure	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 541487

I do not want to dictate to anyone about formula per see, but I do want to make sure hospitals provide a standard of care consistent with best practices- you entirely miss the duty that hospitals owe to patients first, over their "duty" or "right" to be a marketing arm for formula companies- I do not think it right that a hospital put a stamp of approval on formula (an inferior food source for babies) by giving out samples to new mothers. Hospitals should not be giving out samples for other inferior treatments either- for example, homeopathic treatments that are not the standard of care (and which are grossly inferior to other treatments) should not be given out by hospitals either. Hospitals, unlike grocery stores (which can give out free formula with impunity, as far as I'm concerned) owe us a duty of actually providing us with reasonable health care- they are not marketing organs, rather hospitals are health care entities, that are supposed to give us reasonable health care- health suggestions that go against public policy and the majority opinions of doctors do not seem in the best interest of patients. Now you could claim that a hospital dispensing formula sample doesn't put any imprimatur on the samples, but I don't see how you could reasonably argue that. Clearly you think the marketing of formula by hospitals so important, you do not care if mothers mistake the dispensing of formula by the hospital to be a tacit approval, or even encouragement, of the use of formula. If I really wanted to dictate, I'd go after formula everywhere- I just don't think it's appropriate for hospitals to do this- that's a different issue, and of course it's a difficult issue, which is why you generalize and do not address it. And generalizing about the left on this, when the right wants to crawl in the womb with women and make their decision over giving birth, seems a little....bizarre. Talk about propensities to dictate. SD, that's the kind of "dictation" we see from the right... Oh yes, it's SO wonderful not to be able to decide whether to carry a pregnancy to term or not. Such freedom (especially if you are a victim of rape or incest- I find that particularly liberating. How grateful women must be. How libertarians must adore the decision in SD.)!!! This has absolutely nothing to do with formula and hospitals, of course, but everything to do with your point about the "left" dictating to people.

To: mph who wrote (13390)	2/27/2006 11:44:27 AM
From: thames_sider	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541487

Do you think hospitals should encourage the most healthy options for their patients, or knowingly allow (and co-operate with) the promotion of less healthy, more expensive 'options' which will also cause more health problems (and costs) for the individual in later life? This individual is a new-born baby so not able to choose. His parents may choose; but equally they might choose to smoke in hospital, yet we don't allow that (here it's not allowed in private rooms, either, I assume the same is true in the US). When it comes to health there is a best way. And surely it is the duty of any responsible doctor to point that out, and not to encourage alternatives known to be worse and more liable to cause harm. Why do you think a hospital might do the latter? As Karen points out these are private hospitals, entirely dependent on funding from sources other than the state... As for slurs about the 'left' and 'PCism', such would naturally be interpreted as prejudiced bigotry and thus weaken any argument relying on them.

To: mph who wrote (13390)	3/1/2006 4:02:39 PM
From: MulhollandDrive	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541487

mph, this discussion reminded me of a story i read a short while ago about the CA 'ban' on junk food in schools.... i found a link but this isn't the article i saw originally, which went into a case study of a young enterprising hollywood student who would stuff her gym bag with sodas, candy bars, chips etc and sell them at an inflated price taking advantage of the um, market imbalance <g> it would appear the ban has created a black market love jennifer's comment at the end.....sort of reminds me of the logic the sex ed proponents use <vbg> youthradio.org Black Market for Junk Food "Students buy huge variety boxes of candy and chips or go to Burger King or Starbucks in the morning and then sell their supplies." Listen to this Commentary! By Jennifer Obakhume Corporate sponsorships have brought soda and fast food into a lot of schools over the years, but that trend is changing fast as many school districts start banning junk food. In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger just signed a bill to get rid of soda machines and improve cafeteria options on all school campuses. And even the U.S. Congress is sitting on two bills that propose restrictions on food sales in schools to address childhood obesity. But Youth Radio’s Jennifer Obakhume wonders if this will really change the diet of America’s students. (November 7 on NPR's Morning Edition) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I’m a senior at Inglewood High School in Los Angeles and I must confess that my preference for lunch is a candy bar and grape soda. Last spring, my school stopped selling fast food, and took out all but one soda machine which now has an unbelievable line. They didn’t plan for what happened next – a black market for junk food. Here’s how it works: students buy huge variety boxes of candy and chips or go to Burger King or Starbucks in the morning and then sell their supplies. Antony Jauregui says students hide their transactions from stricter teachers when their backs are turned in class. ANTONY (on tape) So they’re like whispering and they’re like, “Eh I got candy, who wants to buy?” And they're like, “Well I wanna buy!” They pass the money from student to student to student, and then they pass the stuff back. It’s really funny to see it. JENNIFER You’ve got to see it to believe it. Seniors who get out at noon throw fast food over campus gates to friends. And not only that - some students even call in pizza orders and have them delivered at the school gate!!! If you get caught, they take away your loot. If you think that’s harsh, across town at Hollywood High School, senior Michael Bustamonte says administrators there are cracking down hard on the underground food trade and suspending students as if it were drug dealing. MICHAEL (on tape) Michael: My homeboy used to do that but they said that’s like dealing stuff, so not no more. Jennifer: When the junk food was being sold, like your homeboy selling it, would you buy it? Michael: Of course, I would support my homeboy. JENNIFER Let’s find a compromise here. I’ve heard that some schools are setting aside one day a week to serve pizza and other fast food in the cafeteria. I’m all for that. After all, wouldn’t you rather kids learn about junk food in the safety of their school’s cafeteria, instead of from their friends on the streets?