PolicyMic

Cameron English The nitrogen or the fact that our flowers grow bigger and prettier?

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• 4 days ago

Cameron English I understand farmer Joe's frustration. Frankly, however, I'm not concerned by it. People use the system to advance their agendas all the time, and the two-party setup is designed to keep wild cards like Paul out of the game. With those fact...

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• 5 days ago

Cameron English Why is it undemocratic? Voting should be more than pulling a lever or filling in a circle.

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• 5 days ago

Cameron English Paul, who's rigging what? Those rules were instituted by Idaho Republican party. If the Paul bots were standing outside polling places like the Brown shirts did in 1930s Germany, you'd have a point. But they're not.

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English Haha - you're welcome.

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English Well, sort of. There's more to winning the delegates than winning the caucuses. We have the misconception that high popular vote total=victory. And that's never been true under the electoral college. Personally, I don't care much a...

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English That's very Murray Rothbard of you.

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English It's an interesting point. From the perspective of the campaign, however, using every last tool available is the only rational thing to do. In any event, all they're doing is involving themselves in the process: knocking on doors, running f...

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English Fine by me. I love gridlock.

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English How fun. Excluding the possibility of ill health. That would suck.

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English Such as? You've got me wondering now.

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English Indeed. But I don't think anybody expected it to work as well as it has.

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English Which they all lost easily, according to Sims. There were several papers published by Sims and others discussing the Vermont study. See the discussion here for a good summary: http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/10/first-law-of-thermodynamics-in...

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English No, I didn't. Two of the convicts gained weight easily, six did not, and one even gained less than 10 lbs. But the key is that they all lost the weight very easily once the study ended.

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• 6 days ago

Cameron English Who gets to decide which foods are healthy?

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English The latter is also done in response to consumer demand for more space, privacy, affordable housing, and so on. That's why organizations like the IOM advocate policy changes that effectively make people behave differently.

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English To the contrary, I think policy has had a tremendous impact on obesity rates in this country, but the relationship goes in a direction many people don't appreciate. The decades old recommendation to avoid fat eat grains has been disastrous to ou...

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English They're the same thing. "We won't force you to exercise, but we will redesign your city to encourage it." No thanks.

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English If exercise is a matter of getting to work everyday, then, yes, I agree that staying active is easier. That being said, cars aren't excuses to avoid exercise. I live in a relatively rural part of California, and I get outside everyday. It just h...

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English That's never been true. Metabolism is more complicated than that.

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English I've written about what can be done to get people living healthier lives. That's what I was talking in the last paragraph when I referenced proper education. http://www.policymic.com/articles/3051/how-the-government-has-caused-america-s-o...

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English Population density probably exerts some effect of exercise habits, but it's not the primary reason half of us don't exercise. Really, it's not hard. Just go outside and do something. Another side of this issue that I didn't di...

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English I don't know, and I don't think anybody does, which is why we're still arguing over what to do about obesity. My suspicion is that these efforts won't work like the smoking campaigns did, because the smoking campaigns basically co...

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English "Coming up: how to get rid of that pesky sex drive." Awesome link.

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English That's all reasonable except for your comments about sodium, which I discussed here: http://www.policymic.com/articles/7073/does-salt-make-you-fat

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English Here's a good explanation of how fast food tends to last so long. http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2012/05/will-fast-food-survive-the-apocalypse.html

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English Yeah, there certainly is better quality food than fast food, but that doesn't make fast food unhealthy. If diet soda does promote weight gain, nobody has found out how. I've heard mixed anecdotes from different people, but nothing substanti...

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English Good point. Still, who in their right mind is going to eat food that has been sitting out for three months, whatever it looks like?

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English Taubes is a good starting place. But reading anybody with some training in the field you're interested in is a great way to build your knowledge base.

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English Yeah, a few readers raised some good points. I thought I'd take a crack at their objections.

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English I don't get it. You obviously wouldn't eat anything after three months, whatever it looked like, right?

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English You can get the nutrition you need from other sources, but I agree with you about proportion being the key. 50-150 g/d for carbs seems to be a good general rule, unless you're endurance athlete. Of course, reducing or eliminating foods with ...

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English All goods points. Gluten isn't the only problem, though. There are a variety of components of wheat that are problematic. http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2011/09/21/interview-with-wheat-belly-author-dr-william-davis-part-two/

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English The trick is to discern who has the better case. The studies you're referring to, how are they designed? It's not just a matter of counting who can cite more research. The bad diet and no exercise lifestyle you mention isn't the who...

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• 2 weeks ago

Cameron English That's funny. I don't think Paul's libertarianism would allow him to force his views on you.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Even if he did (I haven't seen it), he's but one man. I know the title naturally pushes the discussion toward "Ron Paul likes science!" but that wasn't the focus of the interview, nor Berezow's USA Today piece.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English The environmental lobby spends more than any evil right-wing think tank. And by the way, spreading junk science about vaccines and gm food, to name two examples, has greater and more immediate effects than global warming denial.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English I forgot about that. Thanks for mentioning it.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Vaccine phobia, anti-nuclear energy policy, and crazy animal rights views are more common among liberals, just like climate change denial is a pet of the political right. These odd movements are like the crazy cousins you don't invite to the...

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Well, the non-Randian fan boy libertarians reject IP. Be careful; somebody will go find an Ayn Rand quote challenging you.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English I don't think it's a common trait in libertarians, though. One politician isn't necessarily reflective of what every libertarian think about GW.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English One thing I've always been curious about is the cumulative effect of all these potential causes of underage smoking/drinking. Does one compound the effects of another, for example? A lot of kids see the ads but don't have any exposure to al...

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Yeah, I can't read the full text either. The conclusion seems to be that kids who are more aware of or receptive to advertising tend to pick up smoking later in life, but that doesn't address causation. They also mention that there are no t...

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English As there is between many different things and drinking, like playing sports in high school. But we don't propose a ban on high school athletics. Nobody denies that kids who see beer commercials also drink. But, again, when you call for restricti...

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Thanks. I'm going to take a look at it now.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English I'd like to read it. Do you have a link?

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Poncie, when you call for more restriction on advertising, as the researchers did, the implication is that advertising causes drinking. Otherwise, why limit advertising?

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English I'll go look it up. But I think it'll be hard to find a valid comparison, since they don't see drinking at an earlier age as the problem we do.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English That's a good point. The prohibitionist mindset is probably part of the problem, but I have made a commitment to rock only one boat per article.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English I'm sure it depends on who you ask. But I would think the decrease in smoking is due to the higher taxes and the ongoing anti-smoking campaign than bans on television advertising. If kids are more influenced by media than their parents, I thi...

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English They're only concealed in the sense that we assume the foods we eat don't contain sugar. Simply flipping the package over and looking at the nutrition facts reveals the sugar content. There's nothing wrong with feeding your kids fe...

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English 41% is much less than 59%, so "only" is acceptable in that context. I have considered the comparison between food and soda; it's common knowledge in nutrition, too. And you don't have to take Davis' word for it. Just go look ...

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English I haven't seen that particular study, but I'm willing to bet that a lousy diet is right at the center of such a situation.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English That's unnecessary. I didn't challenge your definition, just that obesity is the cause of the diseases you mentioned. No need to take it personally.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English No, they're associated with obesity. Body weight just happens to be a convenient symptom we (perhaps wrongly) use to track overall health. http://www.policymic.com/articles/7104/can-fat-people-be-healthy

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Undoubtedly. Still, I find the fear of artificial sweeteners a bit over the top.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English I have.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Oh, boy. I'm getting so much comment thread mileage out of this article: http://www.policymic.com/articles/3798/flawed-studies-link-diet-soda-to-weight-gain-heart-attacks

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Why? Here's why I question your criticism about diet soda: http://www.policymic.com/articles/3798/flawed-studies-link-diet-soda-to-weight-gain-heart-attacks

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English When I go to a fast food place, I'll order a double cheeseburger (or two if I'm feeling crazy) and peel off the bun and drink iced tea or diet soda. But you're right, I avoid fries, milkshakes, regular soda, apple pie etc.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English To each their own. I've found it useful as way to avoid sugar but still enjoy drinks that taste good.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Sure it does. I eat fast food several times a month, and I've lost close to 40 lbs in the last 6 months. Of course, I choose what to eat very carefully, but there's nothing about fast food per se that is unhealthy.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Wait, what? Clearly you've never enjoyed diet Dr. Pepper.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English "Being ten or fifteen pounds overweight technically has proven to cause minimal health implications but the truly obese are both draining our Health Care resources" Well, how do you define "truly obese"? Do mean morbid obesity?

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English They're just soda with more caffeine, as far as I can tell.

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English Yes, drink diet soda. It's fine. http://www.policymic.com/articles/3798/flawed-studies-link-diet-soda-to-weight-gain-heart-attacks

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• 3 weeks ago

Cameron English I agree. Your comments don't contradict my argument. They probably came from the same sources, in fact.

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Yep, I think you made my point for me. Thanks.

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English I agree almost completely. But I think the discriminatory aspect stems from how we approach the issue. We don't call it a type 2 diabetes epidemic, nor a heart disease epidemic, but an obesity epidemic that generates all the diseases. The result...

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Obesity is associated with those diseases, but it isn't the cause of them. It's like saying calls to 911 cause crime because people who live in high crime neighborhoods place more calls to 911. The cause is poor diet. Fact is, thin peopl...

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English The answer to your first question is "yes." And if people change their eating habits and exercise, they'll likely see results. But I don't think we should necessarily judge the results by the amount of weight lost. Somebody, f...

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Your criticism seems to imply that I want give overweight people a pass for bad choices, which, I'll emphasize again, is not my intention. I said as much in the last paragraph. I've worked hard to slim down in the last year (40 lbs so f...

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Haha. Indeed.

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Thanks. Funny enough, you're not the first to say so today. It's proof we can all agree on some things.

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English I don't know, to be honest. But the other point that should be mentioned in relation to the genetic aspect of all this is that many thin people live terribly as well, yet they don't gain weight. That's what makes solving the problem so...

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English We could start taking this information into account when addressing the issue. Quit telling people their weight is a simple matter of eating less and moving more, which it isn't; quit recommending grain based diets that encourage weight gain. ...

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English That I completely understand. I like my space, too. But I think the problem is that we really don't think about the issue until we're on the airplane or in the movie theater, fat people included.

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Perhaps it's a mixture of the first two, Jeff. Given the research I cited, I don't find your experience strange at all. The fact remains, however, that that simple adjustment doesn't solve the problem for everybody. Still, I said,...

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English He tends to avoid the topic, for the very reason you mentioned. Of course, once you're down 150 lbs, people don't think to ask about how you got there unless they knew you before.

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Eric Oliver talks about that in the interview I linked above. Doctors so berate people about their weight that they avoid regular checkups. They then develop medical conditions that go untreated .

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Your photos looks great. I have a family member who had Bariatric surgery six years ago. The difference in how we was treated caused him a lot of trauma.

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English "WELL DONE (notice capital emphasis), Cameron!" I think that's the first time you ever said that. Thank you!

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Oh, my mistake. Context sometimes gets lost in the noise of these comment threads. Out of curiosity, what do you mean by "natural and wholesome foods"?

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Where exactly did you find that in the article?

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• 4 weeks ago

Cameron English Interesting. I'll check it out. Thanks!

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English Pat could you provide a source which discusses that? I'd be curious to learn more about it.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English I agree. I think most people who are overweight could lose some weight and benefit from it. But getting down to that ideal BMI isn't the cure all it's made out to be.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English Yes, I think you're right. And that's why I said people who tend to store fat easily should avoid sugar and carbs. It's not that having a BMI over 35 is healthy, but that our genes have to some degree determined a natural weight ra...

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English I'm not trying to justify morbid obesity. But we should reconsider how we judge health when it comes to body weight. If somebody sits on the couch all day and eats cheetos, I have no sympathy for them, and they will pay the consequences for that...

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English I can't access the Lancet article and so can't evaluate it beyond reading the abstract. But since it was published four years before the studies I cite above, it almost certainly doesn't discuss the relevant data and doesn't chall...

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English Nonsense, Basil. Aside from the fact that I do my best to make sound arguments and cite sources, I have adopted the lifestyle changes I advocate here. And by the way, I specifically said people should make better choices in this article. The contenti...

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English Yes, you should consider the other side of the argument before making up your mind. (*insert clever emoticon here). Sorry, I had to.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English To be sure. But if it was just the policy beef, I wouldn't bother with the scientific aspect of it.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English But that all depends on which experts you talk to. As I demonstrated above there are many skeptics among the same professionals you mentioned in your last comment, and they have good reason to doubt the hypothesis. But if it works for you, good. I...

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English Maybe. But I think you're mixing up cause and effect. If you are, then the evidence is going to be interpreted as supporting the low-salt diet, even if it actually doesn't.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English It makes sense. But I find the other explanation more compelling. I also find it interesting that the two are rarely compared side by side, which is necessary if we're recommending one of them to everybody.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English Indeed. I find it a little bothersome, to say the least, that the default solution is to force people into eating differently, whatever the scientific evidence for the change may be.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English Cool. I imagine that you aren't interested in making everybody else do the same, though. The food mullahs like Michael Bloomberg are the people I had in mind when writing this.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English Thank you for clarifying. Her tweet created a lot of interest in gluten-free dieting as a way to lose weight, as I mentioned. And that's what I was interested in addressing in the article. Also, there are a variety of proteins in grains besi...

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English That depends on what other "stuff" in meat you're referring to. It's generally thought that the saturated fat in meat is what causes cancer, which is untrue.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English It's definitely doable, but also unnecessary. If you have to substitute something in your diet, it may be a good idea to ask why. And the risk of colon cancer for meat eaters is negligible - http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2008...

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English 80% of dieters gain back all their weight, apparently. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20935667

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English Very true. Organic food is definitely more expensive. http://www.fao.org/organicag/oa-faq/oa-faq5/en/

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English I do. But until I reduced my grain and sugar consumption, I didn't start losing weight.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English Those people will also pay more for their groceries, and for no good reason. The extra calories burned chewing a tougher piece of meat will make little difference to somebody trying to lose weight.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English If you read the article, you just got a former fat guy's take on the issue.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English It's not that simple. Losing weight isn't just a matter of creating a calorie deficit. Rigorous exercise is good for your health in a variety of ways, but it also increases your appetite, which means you're inclined to eat more. Of cou...

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English It's not indisputably healthier, at least not if we're measuring risk for disease and death. The benefits of making such a switch are trivial compared to, for example, giving up smoking. http://www.ajcn.org/content/70/3/516S.full Furt...

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English A fact that won't matter if either or both continue generating supporters. And that's easier to do if one of them holds an important office.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English But as Jon pointed out above, the vice presidency puts Rand Paul first in line to run in 2016. Anyway, I wouldn't underestimate Romney's need of Paul's supporters in this race. They could give Paul a lot of clout as the election draws ...

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English And that's a bad thing?

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English I agree. Though I wonder how his more die hard supporters feel.

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• 1 month ago

Cameron English That's typically done by comparing the autism rates of vaccinated children to those of unvaccinated children. Of course, these are epidemiological studies, but none have found a significant link between vaccines and autism. For example, not ...

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English I would like to know why in the hell Fox chose to ask the Donald about autism. "Hey, you're a wealthy investor, what's your take on this immunology stuff?"

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Read this article about GMOs, and forget about building 7, please.http://www.policymic.com/articles/5226/gmo-foods-why-we-shouldn-t-label-or-worry-about-genetically-modified-products

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Awfully kind of you. At least you didn't accuse me of being on Monsanto's payroll. And yes, that has happened here.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English There's a good reason for that. No researcher would deny a child vaccination in a controlled setting.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Check out my past articles before making a judgement like that. Do you have any information about these court cases?

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Good for you. The theory makes sense, and everything starts to click once you see the results.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English That's my experience, too. And I've met many others who say the same thing.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Yeah, that's where I find Lustig is a bit out his element. Educate, but not with taxes and restrictions on personal behavior. As he acknowledges, the feds enabled the problem in the first place.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Perhaps. But I think it may be different with sugar for one primary reason. If Lustig is right and sugar consumption is the main cause of obesity, people will see significant changes in their lives if they stop eating sweets. If you quite smoking, no...

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English I hope you're wrong. We'll have to wait and see.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English I'm not sure those events are specifically related to the debate today, but you make a good point. Getting people to reduce their consumption of the stuff will be difficult.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Fair enough. I just want people to think before they hit the panic button. Whatever they choose to eat or feed their families isn't my business.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English That's sounds...uh...yeah, you know how that sounds.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English "Our health foods are fried chicken, chocolate, and beer. No wonder we're so fat!" - One of Jay Leno's only funny jokes

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Heh.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Best I can tell, that's what the study is suggesting, too. The problem, which they allude to, is that people mostly eat chocolate in candy bars, so there's a lot of sugar being consumed along with any potential nutrient, as you mentioned.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English You first, Jed. : )

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English "Eat more broccoli, fewer Snickers." That about sums it up. haha.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Yeah, that's my view as well. I mean, I would love it if my mini donuts also made me more beautiful, but the world is cruel.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Have you ever seen "Shrink"? Your friend reminds me of Kevin Spacey in that movie.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Oh, alright. That sounds a bit more reasonable. Did he keep a scorecard on his predictions?

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English I'd like to learn the statistical wizardry behind such a calculation. There's so many variables in play that I doubt he could predict somebody's demise with such precision.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English -1 Poole 3:16 I get it now.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Not sure I follow.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Indeed. I find the argument that fat people cost everybody money interesting because it's the only route to go if you want to treat obesity likes it's a sin.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Ben, don't be so reserved. Tell us what's really on your mind. : )

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Um, no. Treating a chronic disease for 10 0r 20 extra years or caring for people in their twilight years is obviously going to be more expensive than the injuries from a car accident, however you would determine the costs in your fictional scenario.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Check out the PLoS study. There's a detailed discussion about their methodology and a comparison to the research that contradicts there conclusion.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Thanks. And, yes, getting info from multiple sources is a good idea; I should have mentioned it above. I don't know how many Oprah or Deepak Choprah fans will read the article or your comment, but checking out 4 or 5 websites would go a long way...

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Indeed. I learned that one the hard way. They need to add a "you must be this intelligent to consume alcoholic beverages." I'm not sure where to set the bar, but I think the concept is workable.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English The thought did occur to me as I wrote that. But in fairness, they just reported those as secondary effects. They wanted to see how getting slammed affects test taking abilities.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English McDonald's as a private company is looking out for their bottom line, so I'm not surprised that they changed their recipe when the public outcry started. They had little choice. The USDA has obviously relented and said schools can choose. ...

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English That's great. Do you care to discuss any of these failings?

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English No, but the fact that you disregard all information contrary to your suggestion sure does.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Lay off the conspiracy mongering, Darwin.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Oh, Lord! Somebody understands, and he didn't use his caps lock key. Thank you.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Yeah, the people that make it didn't think of that name. That was one of the critics.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Keep going. I definitely the kind of purpose who responds to that sort of argument.

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Cameron English What is it with the caps lock key fetish around here? My reading comprehension skills remain the same whether you type BIG LETTERS or capitalize words appropriately.

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Cameron English Cool, thanks. I definitely could have gone more in depth, but the story was intended as a quick counter to all the inevitable "Oh no! Kids are eating slime!" news reports that popped up yesterday."

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Cameron English Ammonium Hydroxide isn't poisonous in the amounts we're exposed to by consuming the beef. I'm no friend to the FDA, but you have to take these on a case by case basis. It's not fair to say "well, they approved dangerous d...

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Cameron English We need to distinguish "safe" and "appetizing," the latter which everybody defines slightly differently. There's nothing wrong with the beef. The Ammonium is used because the meat can be exposed to bacteria during process...

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Cameron English This is discussed below. But to recap, the high amounts of sugar we consume are demonstrably harmful. The ammonia treated beef isn't. The quality issue is subjective, which is what I alluded to with the Marion Nestle quote. But by every objectiv...

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Cameron English Convoluted how? And what do you find egregious and nonsensical? Specificity would be nice. This is a science column after all. In regards to your LA Times link, that study has been so thoroughly debunked that it's nearly comical--and in just...

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Cameron English Quick note: the lead to this article is slightly misleading. It's no help to the critics, but schools already use the beef, which I could have clarified. They'll be able to opt out in the fall.

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Cameron English In summary, the Times piece is interesting, and it certainly highlights why we need to be aware of what we're eating and how it's handled before we consume it. That's legitimate. But I'm bothered by the way the issued was framed ...

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Cameron English "And this summer, two outbreaks of particularly virulent strains of salmonella in hamburger prompted large recalls of ground beef...Although no outbreak has been tied to Beef Products..." "These outbreaks were unrelated to the contr...

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Cameron English Ah, yes, science via the New York Times. Let's take a look. "Since 2005, E. coli has been found 3 times and salmonella 48 times...The meat was caught before reaching lunch-rooms trays." That sounds like quality control preventing...

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Cameron English Your link is broken. Anyway, the advent of cigarettes didn't initiate the problem. People have used tobacco for a long time, and its health risks weren't really established until the mid 20th century.

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Cameron English Thanks. Though I don't agree about saturated fat being unhealthy, you're point about the comparison is correct. There's almost no difference between the two kinds of beef. That's what irritates me about this controversy. The conce...

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Cameron English I don't understand your objection. Food poisoning sucks out loud. A common way to prevent it is to control the bacteria that cause it from contaminating food at various stages of production and preparation until it's consumed.

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Cameron English Because it's made from the meat and fat that are removed from the beef when producers make steak and roasts. That doesn't necessarily reflect badly on the nutritional content, however.

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Cameron English Tobacco has been used for centuries. Phillip Morris didn't drop packs of Marlboro reds from the sky starting 2o years ago. Your suggestion would not have been possible.

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Cameron English Ciera, click on my profile and check out some of my previous articles. I have no hesitation about attacking the federal government for the idiotic dietary advice they doll out. But, the matter always comes down to evidence. Before linking to the FDA ...

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Cameron English I say "probably" because the handful of scientists around here would rightly eat me alive if I spoke in absolute terms. Our understanding changes often, and may be will discover that pink slime causes cancer someday. But we haven't yet...

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Cameron English That's hard to track, honestly. Organic food types do a lot of things that probably extend their lives, like avoiding tobacco, exercising, drinking little alcohol, not eating flamin' hot cheetos etc. Those are all good decisions. I, sinc...

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Cameron English No. It's alright because it's safe. My conclusion is that there are (or should be) far bigger concerns about what kids eat, low-fat chocolate milk, gatorade, white flour etc.

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Cameron English All valid concerns, Nate. But, as with the GMO debate, it seems the prudent approach is to carefully monitor the things we eat and investigate how scientists determine the safety of food. As for how the studies are conducted, take a look at this ...

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Cameron English Take the day off, Ms. Kraykowski. Honestly, I think the ankle biters and I have a symbiotic relationship.

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Cameron English Indeed. Spirited disagreement is how we learn. I hope you hang around.

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Cameron English Fair enough. My point is that we manipulate nature in all sorts of ways for our own benefit, even when we're talking about so-called organic products.

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Cameron English We treat all sorts of foods with ammonium hydroxide. I don't see why that aspect of food safety should be particularly troublesome.

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Cameron English I understand the concern, Nate. Still, why do our children deserve better? Forgive the rhetorical bombshell; I know that's a taboo question for many people. But stay with me a minute. The slime-y alternative is safe, nutritionally comparable to ...

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Cameron English This would fit under the "I don't care if you like either organization" disclaimer in the article. Before linking to the FDA report on ammonium hydroxide, I did a literature search; nobody seems to worried about the compound as used as...

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Cameron English I don't think of myself as a food preservative supporter. I just go case by case and see if there's any reason to be worried about whatever's making headlines. There doesn't appear to be in this case. Sorry. As I mentioned in t...

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Cameron English Thanks. There are plenty of studies that contradict the study discussed in the article. It's ridiculous how the red meat-disease link gets so much press.

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Cameron English That's an interesting discussion, too. I've been on a low-carb diet for about five months now, and a lot of people in that community swear by the stuff. I've never had it, but would be interested in getting your take on it.

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Cameron English I don't know what their motives are. A number of scientists and science writers have argued that researchers can become attached to their work, which distorts how they conduct research and deal with contrary evidence. It's an interesting di...

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Cameron English Literally none of that is correct.

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Cameron English Sounds like a pretty good strategy. The sad thing is that people with a family history of heart disease are told by doctors and governments to eat the foods that promote the onset of conditions like heart disease. Ridiculous.

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Cameron English It looks like I'm not the only one who enjoys poking people in the eye.

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Cameron English Perhaps. Along the same lines, the people who consumed more red meat were also more likely to smoke, maintain a higher BMI, exercise less and eat more calories than the group who replaced red meat with other sources of protein.

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Cameron English It's not an easy fight, but, in the end, people can think what they want. I'll keep losing weight and buying smaller clothes.

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Cameron English If anybody's interested in a break down of the numbers, here's a fantastic analysis of the study. http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2012/03/red-meat-mortality-the-usual-bad-science/

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Cameron English It's amazing how the contrary data was ignored or explained away. The history of that conflict is really fascinating.

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Cameron English Check out some of the links in the article. Dr. Eades' site has all sorts of good commentary on various aspects of this debate. Taubes' work is pretty extensive as well.

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Cameron English That's a mindset I've never been down with. I have a lot of respect for experts and the research they do. But nobody should leave their brains at the door. Thanks for the comment.

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Cameron English No, I can't agree with that. For every population you can cite as evidence to the support the dietary cholesterol-heart disease hypothesis, I can show you one that doesn't. There has to be some other explanation, and I think it's our d...

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Cameron English That's the problem though. We have to go beyond the observational data because there are so many contradictory studies floating around.

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Cameron English That's not the point. The caramel coloring isn't harmful. If you're still bothered by it's use, don't drink soda. Problem solved. And I did the research for this article. Outside of the professional panic pushers at CSPI...

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Cameron English A doctor over at ScienceBlogs also slapped around CSPI for their exaggerated claims about soda. http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2012/03/cspi_overblows_the_cancer_risk.php

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Cameron English CA is a bastion of insanity. Living here makes it pretty clear, and working in the State Capitol only confirmed my suspicion. If a legislative idea is too expensive, impractical or unnecessary, chances are we've made it law.

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Cameron English That's why more people should read PolicyMic. haha. In all seriousness, you highlight a real problem with the relationship between science and public policy. It really is a shame that companies like Pepsi modify there products not because of ...

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Cameron English Cool. I just went and found it. Anyway, couple of comments. "This is petition has nothing to do with whether or genetically modified foods are dangerous. We don't label dangerous foods, we take them off the shelves. This petition is abo...

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Cameron English No, I hadn't seen it. Thanks for posting.

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Cameron English Unless I'm missing something, that's not correct. I noted in the article that the process is controlled, and Christine Wilcox pointed out (SciAm link) that "GMOs are tested genetically, to ensure that the target gene has incorporated p...

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Cameron English Yes, but the answer is necessarily more nuanced than "I have a right to know what I'm buying." I agree with that principle. But I can't agree with how the anti-GMO groups want to implement it. A simple Google search reveals pl...

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Cameron English Oh? "Safety tests include specific toxicity testing according to the nature and function of the newly expressed protein; potential occurence of unintended effects; potential for gene transfer from genetically modified foods to human/animal g...

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Cameron English No, of course not. And people are not forced to eat things they don't want to. Some may indeed react negatively to genetically modified foods, and that's why they are tested before being brought to market. By the way, the study in "...

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Cameron English Indeed. I'm happy to covert to the organic way, but after researching the topic and paying more for my food just to see if I was missing anything, I don't think I am. I mean, there's people telling me I have a skin disorder that doesn...

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Cameron English Stay. Try to unplug me from the Matrix.

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Cameron English True enough about the publication date. My mistake. Still, I wonder why a four-year gap invalidates the results. If there was something wrong with their methodology, you may have a point. But most of the other studies I've looked up reached the ...

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Cameron English Your research skills need work. The study is from January of this year. Let's acknowledge that we are all biased. Nobody is looking at this objectively, and that's why we have to focus on arguments. Now, what inconsistencies do you see?

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Cameron English Oh, nonsense. "...the condition cannot be explained by a single, well-described inflammatory, infectious, or neoplastic disorder. A substantial proportion (40%) of biopsied lesions had histopathologic features compatible with the sequelae of...

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Cameron English Check out the campaign for the labeling in California (first link in the article.) They are very clearly pushing for labels as a means to warn people about GMO. The dietary information isn't in the same category necessarily. The difference b...

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Cameron English I'm glad you feel that way. I just don't see any reason to avoid GM food. From your link: "Numerous health problems increased after GMOs were introduced in 1996...Although there is not sufficient research to confirm that GMOs are a ...

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Cameron English Read the research as it's published and follow the news. It's not like "they" can keep it a secret. Define "serious" for me. I meant "serious" as in a huge disease outbreak, or many thousands of deaths. Gen...

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Cameron English Yes, intellectual property is a ridiculous concept. Having said that, I don't think patents have prevented scientists from testing GMO crops.

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Cameron English Actually, natural isn't always best. Water purification, for example, isn't natural, but it beats filling up a bucket with water from a river. It boggles my mind that you and so many other people here don't mind starting with the ...

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Cameron English I think that sums up exactly what's wrong with your perspective. You have the answer you want already. I'm no expert, but I know several people actively working in this and related fields. I asked them questions and read the relevant res...

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Cameron English We ignore/defy the laws of nature all the time. What organic tree did your computer grow on?

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Cameron English If there's a way to label without creating unnecessary skepticism, I'd be for it. I just don't know how we'd do it. Better education appears to be the best option. Often times scientists aren't out of the lab communicating th...

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Cameron English Here's another article, this one by a microbiologist. And there are links to more resources in this article. http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2011/01/hard-to-justify-opposition-to-gm-organisms.html By the way, if some (not all) GM cro...

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Cameron English We're going on 18 years of consuming GM food and have yet to encounter any serious repercussions. Both your points are good reasons to monitor the technology and carefully test (which they do) these food stuffs before they're brought to mar...

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Cameron English My artificially heated home contradicts your veneration for Gaia. By the way, mother nature is a total bitch. She turned the Sahara into a desert, wiping out sophisticated civilizations in the process; sends the planet into cyclical ice ages and peri...

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Cameron English Yes, it is. Please forgive my sloppily worded comment. But whether it's toxic at the levels of it we're exposed to is another question.

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Cameron English I never said that. I've never had raw milk, but I've heard from many people that it's tasty, and I don't doubt its nutritional value. Please don't mistake my hippie bashing for attacks on your choice to eat organic products.

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Cameron English You guys are such article hustlers. In a good way, of course.

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Cameron English Yes, nutrition is important. But that's no excuse for deception churched up with scienc-y rhetoric.

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Cameron English Yeah we will.

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Cameron English No, that's not correct. The way the term is used in political debates this is a misnomer. Scientists don't define the issue as natural, untainted food vs. the demonic creations of evil corporations. For the nth time, so-called organic food ...

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Cameron English Joy, who exactly is my company? There are examples of GMO crops making people/animals sick. I've never denied this. The important question, however, is do they affect entire populations in the same way. As I mentioned earlier, organic food m...

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Cameron English I haven't seen the text of the California initiative, but I think it will probably look something like the bill you linked to. It remains to be seen, however. This article appears to have bruised some cherished assumptions, so I'll certainl...

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Cameron English Where's Susan? haha.

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Cameron English Head. Bang. On. Desk.

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Cameron English That's the proper response, in my opinion. I boycott all things "organic" because I'm not convinced that they are any healthier than what I can get at a grocery store. But, I'm not on a crusade to make everybody live as I do....

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Cameron English Not sure what you mean. Care to elaborate?

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Cameron English Yes, I said it because warning labels always imply something harmful. That's their purpose. Have you ever been to a restaurant that displays sign about ingredients they cook with? What about a pack of cigarettes? The efforts to label GMO foods i...

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Cameron English Alright...anything else?

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Cameron English That I can happily agree with.

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Cameron English Indeed. I admit it's not a problem-free technology (what is?). But if the writers at NPR know about it, I promise the geneticists who study pesticide resistance for a living do as well, and are working on a solution. http://www.plosone.org/a...

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Cameron English Thanks. Those citations are a good start. But I see most of them are animal studies. Those aren't always unhelpful, but we'd have to look at the methodology each one utilized, since we don't live in labs and eat specially-prepared rat ...

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Cameron English That's because those countries have been rattled by these anti-gmo groups incessantly. Considering, as you said, that they're starving I hope that gives you pause.

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Cameron English See this piece in forbes, which is also link in the article. Read, people. http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2012/02/01/nprs-bias-against-genetic-engineering/

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Cameron English They're actively studying the effects of genetic engineering, and I provided links to plenty of further reading on the subject in the article. By the way, I have no desire to defend Monsanto or the federal government. Hang around a while, ch...

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Cameron English No! Monsanto won't send me my blood money now that you've exposed my evil scheme! Darn you, Mary Landry! As I said, cite peer-reviewed research. Scary documentaries are tantalizing, but usually short on facts.

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Cameron English Well, you're right about the labels creating concern about GMO. But, freaking people out is not a desirable outcome. Also, I don't do the "watch this documentary; it'll change your life" thing. Post some peer-reviewed res...

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English I never said they're all safe at all times, but generally safe and most of the time. Big difference.

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Cameron English Instead of inappropriately using your caps lock key, answer some of my arguments, please.

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Cameron English Sadly, you're probably correct. But I don't think the people pushing these labeling requirements are interested in choice. They can't get a GMO ban passed, so they soften their arguments a little make their campaigns all about consumer...

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Cameron English I didn't say that the precise changes made in the lab are the same that occur in nature, only that one isn't more harmful than the other.

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Cameron English Whoever conducts the research, it still has to pass peer review. Bias may make you suspicious of a certain study, but it's not a good argument by itself. Furthermore, what of the experts who have no connection to the industry who pronounce G...

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Good for you. Address the arguments made in the article. And share some of your research. The studies are contradictory in what way? And, yes, we have a pretty good idea of how safe GMO is. Generally speaking, and based on the available evidence,...

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Cameron English Fair enough. Though I hope you understand why I don't find that especially convincing.

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Cameron English That's an entirely different argument, and I'm inclined to agree with you about IP. See here: http://www.policymic.com/articles/3095/internet-piracy-is-not-the-problem-it-s-time-to-eliminate-intellectual-property But again, a label on a ...

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Cameron English Your question misses the point. The labels should serve a purpose. If there's no purpose, then there should be no label mandate. And I would like to hear your response to the points I made in the article. Specifically, what is a label stati...

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English The idea that "natural" means "better" is one of the most brilliant marketing ploys of all time. But that's really all it is.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Oh.

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Cameron English I think you already have that option. The problem starts when the buy organic crowd wants to make that decision for everybody else. There are stores and farmers markets that sell organic food and many sources of information about GMO. And the dif...

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Doesn't it go without saying that shopping at a major grocery chain means you're buying GMO products?

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Cameron English Heh. We have our own police woman. Awesome.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English See the article above, and Ben's comments below.

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Cameron English I'm all for it. A more informed public is vital to our country not sucking. I used to hesitate to question motives, and I still do in many cases. When it comes to groups that want to mandate people behave a certain way, however, I can't...

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Cameron English Why labeling? I willing to change my position as evidence comes in, but we just don't have any.

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Cameron English That's my thinking, too. The people behind these labeling campaigns don't have the influence to enact bans, so they do it one step at a time.

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Cameron English But we're talking about an entirely different issue. There's reason to suspect that big companies spin science to advance their agendas. You'll get no argument from me on that, but I'm not a part of that. And it's annoying th...

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Is that doable with a label on a package?

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Cameron English I don't write there anymore. But my time with them doesn't really impact this issue at all. CFC's, Lead, Flouride, Asbestos, etc. also have nothing to do with this issue.

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Cameron English Yes, big corn paid me to intern at PolicyMic for 8 weeks and then write one article defending their evil, corporate-y agenda. We have high obesity and cancer rates because we live unhealthy lifestyles. Our diets are high in sugar and nearly devoid...

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Cameron English It was just an example of a solution to the problem I thought you were describing. I haven't read the study itself, so I can say much more about it. But it goes to show that geneticists are aware of the same problems that the "buy organic&q...

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Cameron English Seriously, you don't have a hope if you want to play the "experts on my side" game. I can cite scientists and peer-reviewed research for days. But I imagine that it won't matter, because this isn't a scientific issue.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Monsanto, Phillip Morris, ExxonMobil and Hillsdale college all contribute to my lavish lifestyle.

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Cameron English Hippies excluded, nobody is obfuscating anything. The primary concern when labeling products is accuracy of the information. And most of the modifications made to crops aren't benefits that can be marketed to individuals consumers. "Now mad...

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Cameron English Also, what do you think of this? http://www.science20.com/news_articles/rutgers_geneticists_propose_biotech_crop_containment_strategy-2075

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Thanks, Susan. It sounds like you already know that you're eating genetically modified food. Why do you need the label, then? And for people who aren't as knowledgeable as you, it's probably not a good idea to label something unles...

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Cameron English Frankly, I doubt you have done any serious research into this topic. If you're willing to throw away the entire hypothesis based on the results of one rodent study, you can't possibly be serious. And I was referring to clinical trials i...

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English I encourage you to be slightly less pretentious. You're willing to base your criticism on the results of a rodent study. Meanwhile, there are clinical trials that have demonstrated the efficacy of low carb diets.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Explain specifically what's wrong with the low carb diet, and cite some reliable sources. Taubes has a physics degree, but that's really besides the point. The accuracy of his arguments isn't determined by his education.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Explain specifically what's wrong with the low carb diet, and cite some reliable sources. Taubes has a physics degree, but that's really besides the point. The accuracy of his arguments isn't determined by his education.

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• 2 months ago

Cameron English Is there an argument coming, or you just wanted tell me how dumb I am?

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• 3 months ago

Cameron English Interesting. His Catholicity doesn't bother me, and it shouldn't bother anybody else. I don't know what to think about you not coming across him in college. It seems like he deserves some attention, but maybe not in an English lit pro...

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• 3 months ago

Cameron English It goes hand in hand with overconfidence, I imagine.

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Cameron English All very true. I highlighted the study because it adds another aspect to the discussion. Specifically, it looks like overconfidence underlies many of the problems we already see in powerful people. I'm really curious to keep my eye on this kind ...

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• 3 months ago

Cameron English It still amazes me how close to the truth people got before any of us were alive.

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Cameron English Probably. That just wasn't the focus of the study. To be fair though, most people who get into politics or business probably do want to do good, or at least not do harm. The questions begin to arise when start talking about how that end is to be...

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• 3 months ago

Cameron English I'm not going to pretend that I'm capable of analyzing people's psychology; I hope the article didn't come off that way. The sentence in the article about narcissism came from the study itself, and wasn't directed at any part...

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• 3 months ago

Cameron English I agree. But it's always interesting to get experimental support for something economists have been saying for centuries.

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• 3 months ago

Cameron English I'm an equal opportunity politician basher. Check my previous articles.

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Cameron English Well, I'm not selling anything, and you'll notice all the people on that list are educators or scientists. Fad diets are ginned up by marketing firms and weight loss companies, and I don't think what I'm talking about fits that ca...

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• 3 months ago

Cameron English Compared to the average American, Vegans probably are much healthier. They're more likely to exercise and avoid foods that are unhealthy, sugar most importantly. But those kinds of studies don't do much to demonstrate that vegans are healt...

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• 3 months ago

Cameron English I'd have to look at the studies.

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• 3 months ago

Cameron English I didn't realize this until recently, the but the overlap between libertarians and low-carb nerds is striking.

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Cameron English Eh, none of them will be any better, just different.

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• 3 months ago

Cameron English I really don't think anybody else can beat Obama. Paul's the only one with a compelling platform; the other three are just lukewarm conservatives. Any of them could easily be Democrats, and that'll be a problem once the primaries are t...

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Cameron English It's amazing what people will whine about. "The author is a defeatist and should not be telling people to prepare to lose. Ron Paul can win, he should go 3rd party if he doesn't get the nomination. Ron Paul for the long haul is what...

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Cameron English I understand that pessimistic outlook, Ben. But I think this issue is a good example of what happens when the nanny state agitates the wrong people. They get their assess handed to them. Consumers who use e-cigarettes recognize how valuable they ...

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Cameron English heh. My mistake. : )

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Cameron English Elaine Keller from CASAA (http://www.casaa.org/index.asp) sends this note about nicotine in e-cigarettes: "Nicotine delivery per puff: A 35 mL puff from the Ruyan® V8 delivers only 10% of the nicotine obtained from a similar puff of a Marlbo...

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Cameron English Listen, Kristin. Just trust your health overlords. They know what's good for you.

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Cameron English Michael Siegel also has a good blog post about the Utah ban. http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2012/02/utah-health-official-touts-benefit-of.html

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Cameron English No, they do it because they care about your health! : )

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Cameron English You're right to a certain extent. But assumptions like that should never stop us from examining arguments. That's what many science journalists do today, and that's why science journalism sucks so badly.

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Cameron English That's not entirely correct. The nutritional content of your diet matters. When your body gets what it needs to properly function, it's easier to resist the urge to overeat, and the required calorie deficit isn't that difficult to mana...

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Cameron English Fair enough. Specifically to this drug, I wonder how doctors would differentiate between somebody who can lose weight on their own and another individual who cannot. We also have to be specific about we classify each group. If we don't, we r...

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Cameron English Eh, it's not that simple. You may eat fewer calories on a diet, but you can still get the nutrition you need by eating the right foods. Specifically, if you eat what your body needs to properly function, temptation to eat when you shouldn't...

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Cameron English Exactly, and thank you!

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Cameron English I'm having trouble connecting the dots, Ben. I don't see how this relates to the article. Care to simplify it for me?

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Cameron English Can you cite any of the research they discuss in the book? I'm skeptical because a diet based on the nutrients we evolved to eat is unquestionably good for us, especially when it comes to an energy source for our brains. High fat diets benefit o...

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Cameron English Heart attacks and birthing deformed babies aren't minor side effects. And, no, medication isn't bad, but some problems don't call for pharmaceuticals.

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Cameron English I'd be curious to read that research. Can you link to any of it? It's my understanding that lower brain glucose isn't a problem, at least when your diet is high in saturated fat, because it's a better energy source.

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Cameron English That's a clever point, but you left out a relevant quote: "Though [Paul] prefers the money not be taken from taxpayers in the first place..." In other words, he votes against spending every single time. There's also the fact ...

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Cameron English That report went strangely unnoticed a few months ago. Thanks for posting.

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Cameron English I would be curious to see it come to fruition just to see what it does to the Republican Party. But I'd rather Paul win the nomination. I would love to see what that would do to the party.

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Cameron English I'll also add that this was his best performance yet. Normally he stumbles over his words and lacks control of the questions he's asked. Not tonight. I was impressed.

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Cameron English If that's accurate, I stand corrected. Excellent!

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Cameron English Actually, I not convinced that a Romney, Paul ticket is in the works. Brian Doherty just put the screws to the idea. http://reason.com/blog#article_156019

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Cameron English You may be right. I don't know yet. I have my reservations because I think his supporters would eat him alive for joining up with Romney. You think Ron Paul trolling on PolicyMic is bad? Just wait until your predictions comes true.

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Cameron English Yes, I had the same experience. I remember once asking my dad if I could play Duke Nukem 3D. After reviewing the game, he just laughed at me for asking to play it and said, "Go do your homework."

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Cameron English It hurts the progressive brain to put it so bluntly, but that's what their argument usually boils down to when it comes to issues like public health.

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Cameron English I can't believe how many people have been fooled despite the disclaimer in the headline.

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Cameron English Greatest comment about this story so far, via facebook: "Holy crap. He is a moron ... now I don't smoke but this is none of his concern. He is so interested in control and making us out to be the next Greece it is disgusting. Let us live...

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Cameron English If you're right, I'm going to turn "count the people with no sense of humor" into a drinking game.

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Cameron English The climate strategy document is almost certainly fake - http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/02/leaked-docs-from-heartland-institute-cause-a-stir-but-is-one-a-fake/253165/

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Cameron English Exactly.

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Cameron English A number of people have asked that question. It's fair, but I didn't just say "others around the world have it worse. Shut up. " Outside of relatively few cases, what Americans experience isn't religious discrimination, becau...

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Cameron English There are very good reasons to consider if a candidate is an atheist before voting for them, which I addressed in the article. Still, I don't think atheists are immoral. That's a silly straw man argument.

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Cameron English Conservapedia sucks. I'll grant you that. But my point is that both sides ruthlessly attack each other. Do I need to quote for you the countless atheist writers who have blamed Christianity for crimes its not responsible for? Neither of our exam...

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Cameron English Then this is discrimination as well, Melissa. http://atheism.wikia.com/wiki/Christianity Read my article in context and your complaint disappears. I'm not justifying physical abuse in America because people are murdered in North Korea. I d...

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Cameron English That's a fair point, but how do folks like Hitchens and Dawkins get the notoriety they have? People buy their books and attend their lectures. I don't think they represent a minority.

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Cameron English Got it.

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Cameron English I'm not sure what you're getting at.

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Cameron English Maybe. We'll have to see.

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Cameron English Perhaps. Though I think the problem is exaggerated at times. There's a market for science journalism, as illustrated by the growth of science blogs and popular books . It's just difficult to fit good coverage into the daily news cycle.

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Cameron English Poetic as usual, Lawrence. : )

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Cameron English I definitely sympathize with the timely but accurate conundrum. It's a difficult balancing act, but, as you said, it's no excuse for sloppy journalism. Most journalists have access to embargoed studies, and all it takes is reading a paper...

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Cameron English Good point. I would just comment that the evidence in favor of these sorts of taxes is terribly limited. I suspect it wouldn't pan out.

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Cameron English I'll go check it out. That's definitely a good start. Robert Lustig, one of the authors of the Nature article, said that ending those subsidies would accomplish much of what he wants. Maybe they'll give the sugar tax idea a rest.

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Cameron English But one of the reasons we have "stubborn insulin," as your article puts it is because of too much sugar in our diets.

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Cameron English But here's a more direct discussion about the effects of sweeteners on weight gain, beginning on page 15. http://www.acsh.org/docLib/20060417_sugar_web.pdf And clinical trials, at least those published in any reputable journal, are extensiv...

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Cameron English Changing the ratio of carbs, fats, and proteins necessarily alters the amount of sugar consumed. Since carbs are converted to glucose during digestion, fewer consumed means lower blood sugar. Yes, but the association they found was based on the r...

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Cameron English Indeed. Sometimes I wonder why they even bother. It'd be better to conduct a trial in which people are put on two competing diets.

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Cameron English It's the second link in the first paragraph.

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Cameron English The FDA report and 2007 study I cited deal with those concerns. I didn't say that the association is irrelevant. It could be very useful. For example, understanding that diet soda drinkers still gain weight could help doctors target other part...

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Cameron English The FDA report and 2007 study I cited deal with those concerns. I didn't say that the association is irrelevant. It could be very useful. For example, understanding that diet soda drinkers still gain weight could help doctors target other part...

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Cameron English Gold star and a mic to you.

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Cameron English Those are still second rate compared to clinical trials involving humans. Of course, I wouldn't expect lab rats or rabbits to respond positively to the stuff. They're cute and fluffy, but they're not little people. Your link isn�...

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Cameron English I'll entertain arguments certainly, but they're going to come from peer-reviewed science journals or equally vetted books. That documentary is so incredibly dishonest that it should be disqualified as a source of information.

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Cameron English There are no calories in diet soda, though. And we do lots of thing that aren't necessary because we enjoy them. That's reason enough in my book.

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Cameron English Nonsense. He's said as much in his books. But I wouldn't want to trouble you with reading somebody's work before criticizing them. That would be unreasonable of me. And again, there are countless examples of researchers downplaying...

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Cameron English I fully agree, Kathleen. The food pyramid is garbage (see my earlier articles on obesity). But I think the FDA is correct about the diet drinks at this point. Most of the research I found indicates that aspartame has no deleterious effect.

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Cameron English The double standard amazes me. The Union of Concerned Scientists and other major environmental lobbyists outspend ExxonMobil ten times over. Yet it's only the guys who disagree with you who are in on the nefarious conspiracy. Furthermore, in...

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Cameron English I acknowledged all the points you raise in the article. And I didn't accuse them of making causal claims, but that the association they found is probably much weaker than they think.

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Cameron English Thank you, sir.

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Cameron English I haven't had a real cigarette in over two months. But they still want to tax my e-cig like it's a tobacco product. That's all wrong.

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Cameron English Thanks, Kathleen. You can imagine how annoying this whole circus is. They told me to quit smoking; I quite smoking. But they still want to tax me because I didn't quite the right way. Mugatu sums up my feelings: http://www.youtube.com/watch...

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Cameron English I think this is the only PolicyMic comment thread that also serves as a libertarian porn fest.

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Cameron English But they mean well, Ben. That's all that counts.

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Cameron English If anybody wants to sign a petition against the two bills in Hawaii, you can do that here: http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-hawaii-bills-hb2557-and-sb2819-from-being-signed-into-law

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Cameron English Solid analysis, Ron.

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Cameron English Your second point assumes that the IPCC's most drastic temperature projections are accurate, which is a questionable assumption. A number of published papers have shot the IPCC estimates full of holes, primarily because they don't match act...

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Cameron English As I said below, and as several economists have pointed out, it's not that the EKC doesn't apply to CO2 emissions, but that the relationship doesn't follow the same trend it does with other pollutants. "By contrast, pollutants...

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Cameron English They're conceivable, but they're not simple. Big difference. If you succeed in getting people to buy less gasoline they still have to get around, which means public transit. That's not any better than driving, and arguably worse.

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Cameron English A tax on vehicle miles traveled would better address the problem of externalities, I think. But it's not an easy fix, because alternative modes of transportation aren't necessarily more efficient or environmentally friendly. Republicans...

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Cameron English But eliminate all subsidies.

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Cameron English I'm all for it.

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Cameron English "Yuuuuuup." Archer quote!

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Cameron English Hmm...I seem to remember publishing a 750-word article with links to reputable sources. It must be somewhere (look up!) around here. You changed the wording of my argument. I didn't once say that growing economies don't damage the envi...

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Cameron English It means they probably wouldn't dismantle the EPA or throw a wrench in the UN's climate negotiations, so their "denial" lacks teeth. By the way, crony capitalism is what most lobbying efforts are all about, even the well-meaning e...

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Cameron English The brunt of the destruction that's probably never coming, because the IPCC's projections are higher and more misguided than a group of high school potheads. And as others have pointed out, accurately pricing carbon emissions is difficult t...

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Cameron English " I've got to find these schools where they teach the answer to each and every problem is economic growth." An exaggeration of my argument, but you can find that fundamental lesson being taught in economic programs at reputable univ...

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Cameron English Thanks for the comments, Nate. But I disagree (surprise). Moving away from subsistence farming and towards industrialization is how America, for example, became an economic powerhouse. While there are legitimate questions about the relationship betwe...

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Cameron English As best I can tell, economists dispute how the EKC applies to carbon dioxide. This seems like a decent survey of the literature (http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/aml6/pdfs&zips/PalgraveEKC.pdf), and the author says it may be that the turning po...

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Cameron English As best I can tell, economists dispute how the EKC applies to carbon dioxide. This seems like a decent survey of the literature (http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/aml6/pdfs&zips/PalgraveEKC.pdf), and the author says it may be that the turning po...

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Cameron English You're clearly incorrect about growing economies always increasing pollution. None of the literature I read on this subject supported that view. Except to confirm your bias towards big business, the financial crisis has nothing to do with thi...

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Cameron English I addressed literally every one of those criticisms in the article. And while nobody argued that markets are the solution to everything, my position is anything but intellectually lazy. We should stop pretending that the tax code is a big stick to b...

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Cameron English Our military spending has continually grown since the middle of the last century. Wars end, sure. But we start new ones and jump into existing ones. Look at the places we've intervened between the end of W's last term and now. The world is...

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Cameron English That depends on what spending is reduced. A huge chunk coming out of the Pentagon budget and drug prohibition should make that $1 trillion figure less scary. If that doesn't ease your fears, why not?

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Cameron English Because the latter are sexier topics than mundane policy issues like European political alliances (snooze). What voters want is drama!

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Cameron English Are you concerned about any of the issues I wrote about?

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Cameron English It looks like you philosophized me into a corner, Socrates. Wait, no you didn't. I responded because... you asked me a question.

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Cameron English That was my point. Voting is always a trade off. I think getting some things done is better than getting nothing done. You have a democrat now. How's that working out?

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Cameron English You're not that important. But generally speaking, that was the idea. : )

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Cameron English Yeah, you're right. Chris's review was about a thousand times more informative.

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Cameron English To your first point, Perhaps. But you think Santorum is going to drop out before the South Carolina primary?

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Cameron English I'm all for bashing research based on self-reported data, but answering a question about religious beliefs doesn't seem as difficult as recalling how much coffee you consumed each day for 30 years, to cite one example. Furthermore, othe...

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Cameron English Exactly?

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Cameron English From the linked sources in the article.

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Cameron English I don't agree with your last point. The satellite data is pretty reliable, and so is the land record when it's deficiencies are taken into account. But I think I agree with the overall thrust of your argument.

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Cameron English Ironically, Warner is confirming my reasons for writing this open mic.

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Cameron English Uh, yeah it does; the world just isn't that black and white. I agree that the climate gate situation was ridiculous, especially the crowding out of controversial research. But nothing you mentioned has anything to do with what I said. Most clima...

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Cameron English That's a good point. But, even if it's done with that sort of thought behind it, isn't it unscientific to put your politics ahead of the facts?

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Cameron English No, it's not. The earth has warmed over the last century and we have almost certainly contributed to it. The relevant questions are: how much will it warm in the future, and how dangerous will that warming be? I'm not convinced it'll b...

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Cameron English That's very true. It doesn't help that science journalists have put on their pundit gloves and agreed to advance their politics with their reporting.

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Cameron English Almost as many Evolution deniers call themselves democrats. Of course, there are other examples of progressives ignoring consensus on scientific issues. The GMO debate is a good example.

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Cameron English You managed to quote Hayek in relation to Matt Damon sucking. Mic'd.

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Cameron English That's my point. Dabbling isn't serving as the spokesperson for a nationwide voting campaign. Nobody cares if Joe somebody does a youtube video telling everybody to vote; Millions listen when Matt Damon talks about education.

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Cameron English It's not narrow at all. The movement is essentially a progressive attack on capitalism, a conclusion that can be gleaned from favorable media coverage of the movement. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shira-lazar/micah-white-adbusters-_b_996931.htm...

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Cameron English I'm not sure what charity has to do with this. OWS isn't about charity as far as I can tell, but rearranging society. And considering that the guy is in the group the movement scorns (how much more greedy and capitalistic does it get than o...

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Cameron English No, I didn't say that. But you have to admit, it's ironic, maybe even hypocritical, to become a millionaire as a result of the system you're protesting. I guess we'll have to disagree about Damon's defense. I don't t...

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Cameron English I'm not much of a Reagan fan, and I don't understand conservatives who idolize him. But given that he went on to have such a successful career, I think he moved beyond the "I'm a celebrity; I know politics!" stereotype I hav...

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Cameron English I totally agree. And many people have laid into Bill O'reilly and Rick Perry for their blunders. I'm just leveling the playing field.

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Cameron English Of course not. But I don't hesitate to make fun of people who don't know what they're talking about, famous or not. But I think celebrities deserve special ridicule because their notoriety gives them opportunities to influence a lot of...

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Cameron English All I think of is his performance in Team America: "Mat...Damon!"

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Cameron English Why are you asking?

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Cameron English At some level, I think all of the bans make sense. The relevant question is, at what cost do we enact them? People rarely ever ask.

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Cameron English Oh, I agree. The tomfoolery is nearly limitless, but sometimes highlighting the silliest examples underscores what's wrong with the busy body mindset - and it's funnier.

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Cameron English I wasn't aware of three of them. So much this foolishness flies under the radar.

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Cameron English Last year, the California legislature passed a "cuss free week" resolution. So I can definitely relate. And we try to ban techno music and smoking on beaches.

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Cameron English Thank you for pointing that out.

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Cameron English All fair points. The problem begins when we forcing our preferences on everybody else.

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Cameron English I've heard good arguments for why those services could be privatized, primarily that some have counterparts in the private sector. But why do you think these have to remain publicly financed?

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Cameron English As it pertains to criminal investigations, sure. I don't have a problem with that. There are certainly exceptions to the rule. But they need to remain exceptions. I'm bothered by the fact we have established massive agencies that exist to h...

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Cameron English It doesn't ignore anything. You, like many in this thread, said your discipline needs support because it's vitally important, but the private sector isn't wise enough to realize it. If you want to bring up some specifics, I'm hap...

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Cameron English Literally every organization funded by the government makes that claim. It's just the brain drain argument with your profession at the center.

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Cameron English Here's a good summary of how this silliness works: http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/open-government-research-or-maybe-private-ordering/#more-42259

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Cameron English You didn't do that. You said their politics prevent them from seeing the debate clearly.

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Cameron English Yes, attacking the political views of the experts I cited was indeed an ad hominem.

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Cameron English Why do you hate science, Barry? : )

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Cameron English Clearly nobody else in this discussion is passionate about their views. Good point, Gary.

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Cameron English Like I said, it's just the ability to reach into everybody's pockets. And I think we're going to see soon enough just how "good" it is for us.

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Cameron English Yes, I understood your point the first time around - still incorrect. The government doesn't have deep pockets, just access to everybody else's. And more direction behind R&D financing isn't a bad thing. Generally speaking, we unde...

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Cameron English So, businessmen are short sighted profit chasers when they refuse to invest in basic research. But when they do, as my example illustrates, it has nothing to do with capitalism. Interesting. And I'm not discounting all positives, just sugges...

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Cameron English Your idea sounds good in theory. The problem, however, is that governments are in the problem solving business, and the money never comes without strings attached. The example I cited from nutrition science is a great example of that in action. T...

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Cameron English It wasn't as widespread as you suggest. To be sure, there are some examples, but they weren't in any way comparable to the billions we spend annually. Also, around 1890 we overtook Britain as the richest country in the world, and the state ...

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Cameron English I don't see what your point is. There was "pure" science being done in the 1800s because people realized it had to be done to develop new technologies to provide better products and services. Many here seem to think that only the f...

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Cameron English Not quite. Different actors will invest in what they feel they should. For example, businesses and private labs would invest in technologies that will increase their profitability, which they already do extensively. Private schools and endowments wou...

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Cameron English Because wanting to learn isn't exclusive to people who get paid through federal grants. As Ethan pointed out, many universities are entirely private. And there are private endowments and non profits that fund basic research continually. Int...

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Cameron English I do. But maybe you could be more explicit, because those facts don't worry me.

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Cameron English I was about to say the same thing to you about DARPA. Anyway, I did check facts and stand by the argument. It wasn't until World War I that Britain started pumping money into science.

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Cameron English Let me clarify. If treating certain people costs more than treating others, they should cover the expense. That being said, I don't think the federal government should mandate that everybody have insurance and then complain that obese people are...

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Cameron English There's some truth to what you say, but my point, made more explicitly in my earlier obesity article, is that a healthy diet leads to biochemical changes that make eating well much easier. When you eat a diet composed mostly of protein, fiber an...

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Cameron English Good points. Do think we should mandate lower health care costs for thinner people? If so, how do we go about it? Regarding subsidies, the effects on prices are mixed. Some of the aid programs are tied directly to crop production, so they encoura...

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Cameron English You made a claim but didn't support it.

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Cameron English I fully agree. But consider the impact of feeding people (pun absolutely intended) poor information for 30 years. Remember when the tobacco industry was funding its own think tanks and paying off scientists to testify in Congress? That was rightly se...

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Cameron English This is also a statement.

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Cameron English I think you miss the point on purpose, Michael. Frum is just an example in a long line of people who take the government recommendations and run with them. If most Americans were to visit their doctors today to get advice about nutrition, they'd...

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Cameron English The fact that major political commentators like Frum endorse the idiotic suggestions of the USDA should tell you this is not some obscure set of guidelines - and that you are miserably wrong on this point. Also, I didn't say the government c...

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Cameron English I don't think I'll ever accept that argument. Can't we just quit paying for everybody's health care? I'm all for individual liberty, but also the responsibility that comes with it. Furthermore, there many variables that a...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English One of the arguments is that bands will make money from touring and merchandise sales as they gain name recognition. When I was interviewing bands for a music magazine last year, they seemed to confirm that idea. The music becomes a promotional tool....

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English That may have been the case 25 years ago, but now, largely because of piracy, distribution and promotional services have sprouted up to replace record labels. A number of artists have achieved commercial success without the support of a label. Jeff T...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English If you can make money off it before I can, good for you. But if I register the music under a creative commons license, you can't. http://creativecommons.org/music-communities Besides, there are ways to have music distributed and promoted with...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English If the costs of maintaining a patent system is higher than not, why bother at all? Reform is always an option. But exactly how would you reform it to prevent the abuse that takes place now?

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English All fair points. I remember having the same reservations, but we have to consider the costs associated with IP laws, and patents in particular, before we conclude that they're the economic blessing some people suggest. For example, the outrageou...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English I'm sure opinion among creators is mixed on the issue. I've run into a lot of musicians who aren't fans of intellectual property, especially if they've been hampered in their efforts to make music by a record label. But that'...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English This from one of the studies I cited in the article: "Patent systems are often justified by an assumption that innovation will be spurred by the prospect of patent protection, leading to the accrual of greater societal benefits than would be ...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Check out some of the links in my article. Not all libertarians are in agreement, but the idea is popular among a lot of Austrian economists, for example. I was on the other side of the debate for a long, especially being a musician. But I find the a...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Because that doesn't reflect reality. Your argument can't start with the flawed assumption that IP encourages innovation.

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Very good point. Thanks for mentioning it. In the case of online publishing, for example, advertising has picked up a lot of the slack from newspaper and magazine subscriptions. The company I used to write for offered entirely free content, tons of s...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English I can appreciate your concern, Ryan. As a musician and writer, I want to get paid for the stuff I create. But you're operating under the assumption that IP is actually preventing software piracy - it's not.

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Like I said, IP doesn't prevent theft as it is, and it facilitates harsher restrictions on consumers, even the ones who never download anything. With the way technology is these days, and with creative commons, it's easy enough attach your ...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Thanks for the kind words. I think it's possible to make money without copyrights. The only problem is that it requires innovation and the ability to compete with others. Why bother with that when you can descend on Washington?

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Yes, that's what I'm proposing. Either way, the attempts to prevent piracy have utterly failed, unless we measure success by loss of autonomy and free speech.

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Those all have some role to play, except for aspartame. I've consumed so much of the stuff in the last 3 months, but I'm still losing weight. Though I'd be curious to see any research on it.

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• 4 months ago

Cameron English No, they're not. Those foods contain micronutrients, but they aren't micronutrients.

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• 4 months ago

Cameron English Great comments. Robert Lustig's work on the subject has been very helpful, too.

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• 4 months ago

Cameron English That's a very good point. It should also give people pause before they accept the USDA's guidelines. Is it any surprise that the bureaucracy that promotes grain sales also tells us that grains should be a staple in our diets? That by itself...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English If anybody's interested, I'm making friends over at RealClearScience. http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2011/12/the-united-states-department-of.html

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English No, not all. People are ultimately responsible what they put in their faces. That's why I'm opposed to all fat taxes, restaurant bans and obesity campaigns. That being said, we should stop giving people bad dietary advice. By the way, I ...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English How funny that you accuse me of mistaking correlation for causation right after making use of the fallacy yourself. Of course, I back up my argument against carb consumption with clinical trials. Anyway, I mentioned heart disease for this reason:...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Can you link to a study to support that? I haven't heard much about products like Splenda creating addiction. Of course without the harmful effects of consuming them, I don't see why artificial sweeteners are harmful. Even the ban happy...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English You're completely wrong. A number of studies, I'm looking at an AHA study from 1999, have shown high rates (almost indistinguishable from American rates) of heart disease among populations in Asia. By the way, we're eating a lot of ...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English At this point all I can come up with is that people read the first paragraph, realize they disagree and ignore the rest of the article. I wouldn't dismiss our sedentary lifestyles (or overeating) when talking about obesity. The key question is, ...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English And you're incorrect to say that countries with vegetable and grain based diets are healthier. When that hypothesis was first proposed last century, plenty of researchers shot it full of holes. There are countries today, and have been in the pas...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English I agree that we need some carbohydrates. But the percentages recommended by the USDA are far too high. And the studies you're referring are observational studies; they don't actually test how people respond to particular diets. As a result,...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English How? He very clearly said that eating too much is associated with weight gain. My point was that people who adjust their diets and allow their metabolism to function properly will eat less. And his classic point is that people aren't fat because...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English You're right that he takes on the standard view of the energy balance equation: people are fat because they eat too much. If you check out the link I supplied in the last paragraph, Taubes discusses that point in detail. Here's a relevant p...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Yes, that ingredient is called sugar. Look up some of the research on its addictive properties.

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English There were respected scientists, including the head of the National Academy of Sciences, protesting the recommendations at the time. So, I don't think it's fair to say that the feds don't deserve blame. Furthermore, academics don'...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Yes and no. As you say, modern American life encourages eating on the go. That certainly can make poor food choices easier. But when we're out shopping, working, what have you, we don't have eat fries and milkshakes. It's very easy to ...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Baseless? Really? I argued that the overabundance of carbohydrates in the American diet is primarily responsible for obesity. The government recommendations also suggest a diet high in carbohydrates. There's a trend. We also have clinical trials...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Read the guidelines I linked to above. They still push a calorie-restricted diet without explaining which foods can actually help achieve such a goal. And they still encourage people to reduce the amount of saturated fat in their diets, which is unne...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Nonsense. Cities developed long before the increase in Obesity set in. And people often do take their cues from the government when it comes to health, just indirectly. They take it from their doctors, Oprah, Dr. Oz, their favorite magazines. But tha...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English I agree, Kathleen. It's not a black or white issue. My arguments work in conjunction with yours. I have found the biochemistry I discussed above to be a useful way to turn the logic of the nanny state around and shoot them in the face with it. W...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English You're partially correct. Parents are responsible for their children's health, but when trusted sources are providing them with false information, we can't lay the blame solely on parents. But it's not a matter of accurately i...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English It's not a false premise. You underestimate the influence these recommendations have. Schools, most doctors, nutritionists, popular news and health sources etc. push the officially approved diet. That's why the low-carb diets have been on ...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English A little more gasoline for the fire: http://www.tomwoods.com/blog/the-ron-paul-newsletters/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter "Our country’s political class is full of people who believed it morally acceptable, after 1991, to de...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English No, you missed my point. If past indiscretions of this nature are going to determine a candidate's capability as a leader, than we have to impeach/vote out/fire every federal politician and bureaucrat that has made a similar gaff or been caught ...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English If that's the standard we're going to hold politicians to, let's just abolish government and start over. Parenthetically, I think he would admit that he can't manage the federal bureaucracy, and that's why he's going...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English It's entertaining that you guys can't criticize Paul without misstating his positions. "Blame the USA for all the troubles in the Middle East"? That's very different from the concept that we shouldn't police the world, w...

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• 5 months ago

Cameron English Everything points to the charges being baseless. It's politics. Paul is melting faces in the debates and polls, and folks don't know how to deal with it.

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• 5 months ago