Center for Science in the Public Interest
More Reports Confirm Carcinogen in Snack Chips and French Fries

Popular American brands of snack chips and French fries contain disturbingly high levels of acrylamide, according to new laboratory tests commissioned by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The tests were conducted by the same Swedish government scientists that two months ago first discovered the cancer-causing chemical in certain fried and baked starchy foods. CSPI's tests included several popular brands of snack chips, taco shells, French fries, and breakfast cereals -- the kinds of foods that were initially shown to have some of the highest acrylamide levels.

"The FDA has been strangely silent about acrylamide," CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson said. "It should be advising consumers to avoid or cut back on the most contaminated and least nutritious foods while more testing is done across the food supply. The FDA also should be intensively investigating ways of preventing the formation of this carcinogen."

Fast-food French fries showed the highest levels of acrylamide among the foods CSPI had tested, with large orders containing 39 to 72 micrograms. One-ounce portions of Pringles potato crisps contained about 25 micrograms, with corn-based Fritos and Tostitos containing half that amount or less. Regular and Honey Nut Cheerios contained 6 or 7 micrograms of the carcinogenic substance.

Among the findings:
Acrylamide in Foods: Micrograms per Serving
Water, 8 oz., EPA limit 0.12
Boiled Potatoes, 4 oz. < 3
Old El Paso Taco Shells, 3, 1.1oz. 1
Ore Ida French Fries (from package), 3 oz. 5
Ore Ida French Fries (baked), 3 oz. 28
Honey Nut Cheerios, 1 oz. 6
Cheerios, 1 oz. 7
Tostitos Tortilla Chips, 1 oz. 3
Fritos Corn Chips, 1 oz. 11
Pringles Potato Crisps, 1 oz. 25
Wendy's French Fries, Biggie, 5.5 oz. 39
KFC Potato Wedges, Jumbo, 6.2 oz. (est.) 52
Burger King French Fries, large, 5.5 oz. 57
McDonald's French Fries, large, 6 oz. 72

The amount of acrylamide in a large order of fast-food French fries is at least 300 times more than what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allows in a glass of water. Acrylamide is sometimes used in water-treatment facilities.

"I estimate that acrylamide causes several thousand cancers per year in Americans," said Clark University research professor Dale Hattis. Hattis, an expert in risk analysis, based his estimate on standard EPA projections of risks from animal studies and limited sampling of acrylamide levels in Swedish and American foods.

Acrylamide forms as a result of unknown chemical reactions during high-temperature baking or frying. Raw or even boiled potatoes test negative for the chemical. CSPI today urged the FDA to inform the public of the risks from acrylamide in different foods, and to work with industry and academia to understand how acrylamide is formed and how to prevent its formation.

"There has long been reason for Americans to eat less greasy French fries and snack chips," Jacobson said. "Acrylamide is yet another reason to eat less of those foods." A California attorney has formally demanded that McDonald's and Burger King place a cancer warning on their French fries, as required by the state's Proposition 65. Burger King faces a legal deadline of late June and McDonald's of early July to respond.

The World Health Organization (WHO) held a three-day closed meeting in Geneva with 23 scientific experts specializing in carcinogenicity, toxicology, food technology, biochemistry and analytical chemistry convened to discuss the health ramifications of the acrylamide discovery, which has since been confirmed by the British, Swiss, and Norwegian governments. They came up with the following statement: "After reviewing all the available data, we have concluded that the new findings constitute a serious problem, but our current limited knowledge does not allow us to answer all the questions which have been asked by consumers, regulators and other interested parties."

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) though, has been standing on the sidelines of what is fast becoming a major global debate, according to CSPI, which today called on the agency to treat acrylamide with greater seriousness.
Center for Science in the Public Interest, 25th June 2002

Beware TB Vaccine Will Begin Tests by End of Year
by Susan Okie

Preliminary testing of a new tuberculosis vaccine in humans is expected to begin by the end of this year. The planned safety trial would mark the first time in about 80 years that a new vaccine has been tested against the tuberculosis bacterium, which infects an estimated one-third of the world's population.

In the past decade, there has been a resurgence of scientific effort and international funding to fight TB, which kills about 2 million people worldwide each year, according to health officials. However, bacterial strains that resist treatment with existing drugs are becoming increasingly prevalent, making the development of new drugs and vaccines essential to controlling the epidemic.

There were nearly 16,000 cases of TB reported in the United States last year, half of them among people born in other countries. Tuberculosis infection may remain dormant in the lungs for many years, often for a lifetime. In 5 percent to 10 percent of those infected, the disease becomes active, usually causing fever, night sweats and coughing that can transmit the bacteria to others.

Someone with active TB must take medicines daily for six to nine months to halt progression of the disease. The World Health Organization has spearheaded an approach called DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-course) to ensure that people with TB take their drugs faithfully, which increases cure rates and prevents emergence of resistant strains.

But despite expansion of the strategy, especially in China and India, where one-third of TB deaths occur, currently only 27 percent of the world's TB cases are detected and treated within DOTS programs.

The TB vaccine slated for testing in humans later this year is a new version of BCG, a partially effective vaccine introduced 80 years ago. BCG is widely used in developing countries to prevent severe TB in childhood.

Developed by California researcher Marcus Horwitz, the new vaccine is genetically engineered to prompt production of a specific bacterial protein that has been found to protect mice from the disease.
Washington Post June 4, 2002; Page A08

PHILLIP DAY'S COMMENT: Once again, common-sense nutritional and lifestyle measures to control and eradicate TB, just as with smallpox, are overlooked as jaws salivate at the prospect of scaremongering the planet into having yet another vaccine(s). TB and smallpox are both conditions which arise as a direct result of poor sanitary conditions, combined with a weakened immune system brought about by malnutrition and contaminated water supplies. Still today, a third of the planet does not have access to safe water supplies and adequate nutrition, factors that could easily be overcome with all the 'care and ministrations' directed toward the Third World.

I have to view a refusal to assist these lesser developed nations in sorting out the most basic services for their communities as rank mischief and a cynical and destructive move towards higher medicinal profits over plain common sense. When Africa is crying out for safe water apparati and basic agricultural equipment, the UN sends in the condoms. Nor is Africa itself off the hook. Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe at this time is presiding over a pointless and vainglorious beggaring of his state. Hundreds of thousands go without the basics of safe food and water while millions of acres remain unfarmed around them. Until the less profitable, but straightforward, pragmatic measures are adopted, I fear we will see more of the same coming out of Africa and other nations who have placed themselves at the mercy of high-return Western strategic medical 'planning'.

Doctors Needed
By Phillip Day

Every month, Credence and CTM receive hundreds of calls from patients around the world requesting referrals to doctors who practise metabolic therapy or nutritional protocols for the major diseases. As many know, there are a number of clinics already set up in various parts of the world which are doing great work in this regard, but we need many more.

If you are a medical doctor and are interested in setting up your own clinic or have one already running and are using a nutritional approach to your healthcare ministrations, we would be interested in talking to you with a view to setting up our free referral service to recommend your services to the many patients we meet. We are also interested in finding out about the progress you are making in the realm of nutrition and ancillary procedures to pass onto others. An association of doctors has already been formed with just such an end in mind. If you would like to find out more, please contact Steven Russell on steve@vitalminerals.fsnet.co.uk for further information and a free information pack.

Doctor 'victim' told keep quiet

A woman told a court that a psychiatrist indecently assaulted her in his clinic before telling her to keep quiet because "no one will believe you".

The woman, who is now 50 and wheelchair-bound, told Leeds Crown Court she went to see Dr William Kerr for a psychiatric assessment for abortion when she was 18 in 1969.

But she said the doctor locked her in his treatment room in Harrogate and asked her about her sex life before stripping naked and indecently assaulting her.

The woman is one of 16 former patients of the doctor who claim he either raped or indecently assaulted them at private and NHS hospitals in York, Harrogate and Ripon between 1969 and 1988, when he retired.

She told the court the doctor asked her to take her clothes off because he was going to hypnotise her but she refused. He then asked her to lie down and close her eyes and when she opened them again "he was stood next to me with no clothes on. He had nothing on at all".

"He told me to keep my eyes shut, I couldn't. I tried to get away and as I tried to get away he pushed me back down on the sofa. He was running his hands over my arms and my chest and my legs and telling me to relax. He had his hand on my throat and he was pressing me down."

The woman, who worked as a nurse at the time, said she tried to get out of the building but the main door was locked. She said that the doctor eventually came downstairs, fully clothed, and asked her why she wanted to go.

She said: "He didn't touch me, he just looked at me and I said 'I'm going to tell'. He laughed and said 'Who's going to believe you?"

"I think he referred to the fact that I was just a dirty little girl and he was who he was and then he said 'Believe me, there's no point in telling anybody'."

The woman said that she went to tell the matron at the hospital where she worked what had happened. She told the court: "She said I was a disgusting, ungrateful girl."

The woman did not report what had happened to the police until she saw newspaper articles about Dr Kerr being arrested.

Dr Kerr, of York, is now 75 and suffers from brain damage.

A previous jury found him unfit to plead and the case is a finding of facts trial to determine if he committed the acts alleged.
Yorkshire Evening Post, 29th November 2000

Psychiatrist Placed on Sex Offence Register

Retired York psychiatrist William Kerr was today being placed on the sex offenders' register after a jury decided he indecently assaulted a patient.

But the former Clifton Hospital consultant does not have a criminal conviction and will not serve any punishment - because a previous jury had decided he was unfit to plead through mental impairment.

Instead, to angry exclamations from the public gallery at Leeds Crown Court, Dr Kerr, 75, of Alne, near Easingwold, was given an absolute discharge by Judge Arthur Myerson, QC.

The judge said: "I have little doubt there are those in this court who would feel this is not an adequate order. That is not for them to decide, it's for me."

He said Dr Kerr had not been convicted of a criminal offence and did not present a danger to the public, and he ruled out alternative options such as a hospital order.

However, he said that under the Sexual Offences Act 1997, the doctor, who had "taken advantage of one of his patients for his own sexual gratification", must still go on the register of sex offenders for a period of five years.

The Crown Prosecution Service was today considering whether to take any further action against the doctor over ten allegations of indecent assault, and two of rape, on which the jury could not reach a decision.

The dramatic conclusion to the special 'hearing of fact' into 19 allegations against Dr Kerr - four of rape and 15 of indecent assault on a total of 16 women patients between 1968 and 1988 - came after the jury had spent just over 17 hours considering its verdicts.

Dr Kerr had already been acquitted of two rapes and two indecent assaults last week.

He was cleared of two more indecent assaults yesterday before the jury foreman announced that it had found the 19the allegation, of indecent assault against a Ripon woman, proven.

The woman told the court last week how she had been assaulted by Dr Kerr while being treated for depression after losing her husband.

She said he told her that her problems were all related to her sex life, performed a sex act on her and later wanted her to perform one on him.

The jury indicated yesterday it had no realistic chance of reaching a decision today on any of the remaining allegations and was discharged. The judge told members they would be excused jury service for 15 years after having to deal with such a traumatic case.
York Evening Press, 19th December 2000

PHILLIP DAY COMMENT: The above case, still on the 'active list' of mental health watchdog Citizen's Commission on Human Rights, illustrates the damning ease with which criminal actions continue within psychiatry. In my new book, The Mind Game, I illustrate the numerous cases of abuse which occur each year in this discredited branch of medicine. Victims are often marginalised as 'paranoid' or 'suffering from sexual delusions' and invariably cowed into silence. As part of CTM's ongoing efforts to educate the public worldwide about the abuses of psychiatry and to bring certain practitioners back under the law, we encourage those members of the public who have fallen victim to such attacks to take that difficult step and contact CTM in confidence so that the appropriate steps can be taken by independent investigative authorities to look into the matter further.

Sexual assault and rape are illegal and punishable to the fullest extent of the law. DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT.
www.credence.org

Fat Free May Mean Free Fat

After a recent trip to my local grocery store, I was overwhelmed by the amount of attention paid to weight-related issues. It seemed like every news magazines was raising concerns over the 'obesity epidemic' that has been sweeping the United States over the past decade, while the fashion magazines were offering tips and information on weight loss. Meanwhile, the grocery aisles are filled with low fat, fat-free, and reduced-calories options for everything from milk and cheese to potato chips and cookies.

The most ironic part of this scenario was that when I got home, I found that my June 11, 2002 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association had arrived, and inside was an advisory from the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association (AHA) on fat substitutes and health. Specifically, Dr. Judith Wylie-Rosett looked at fat substitutes, dietary fat intake trends, and the general makeup and labelling of low-fat and fat-free foods. After reading Dr. Wylie-Rosett's statement, I knew that I had to pass this insightful and valuable information on to my readers.

BACKGROUND

In 1998, a Calorie Control Council National Survey looked at the 5,000+ reduced-fat and fat-free foods that had been introduced in the 1990s and set out to determine if people were actually purchasing and consuming these products. They found that the answer was an overwhelming "Yes!" In fact, more than 90 percent of the population they surveyed had consumed reduced-fat or fat-free products, with more than half selecting either low-fat or fat-free dairy products (milk, cheese, yoghurt, etc.), salad dressings, or mayonnaise. Nearly 35 percent reported consumption of low-fat or fat-free margarine, chips, lean meat, and ice cream.

Feedback from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows that this trend toward lowering our fat consumption has been effective; the percentage of calories from fat has dropped from 40-42 percent in the 1950s to 34 percent in 1991. However, statistics show that obesity rates in the United States have doubled over the past twenty years, and that the past decade has shown a 33 percent increase in the number of Americans with type 2 diabetes.

It is my belief that one possible reason for this phenomenon may be the mistaken belief that you can eat an endless supply of low-fat or fat-free foods such as ice cream, cookies, and cakes guilt-free. What most people don't realize is that, in many cases, the fat is replaced with sugar and additional calories.

WHAT FAT-FREE AND LOW-FAT REALLY MEAN

Just because the label says fat-free doesn't mean that it doesn't contain fat. Hard as that may be to believe, it's true. According to the Nutrition Labelling and Education Act, any product that is labelled fat-free must contain less than half a gram of fat per serving. While I'm not concerned that your favourite pint of "fat-free" frozen yoghurt could have 0.4 grams of fat per serving, I am troubled by the likelihood that it contains hundreds of grams of sugar and calories! A product labelled as low fat has similar constraints; it cannot contain more than three grams of fat per serving. In both cases, manufacturers do not have to include calorie content when making fat-free or low-fat claims.

In the case of low-calorie and reduced-calorie labelling, products that are labelled low-calorie cannot contain more than forty calories per serving, while those indicated as reduced-calorie can have up to 1/4 the calories as the full fat alternative. Similarly, foods that are labelled as "light" may contain no more than 2/3 the calories or 50 percent of the fat of the regular product.

AND THEN THERE'S OLESTRA

Perhaps the most well known fat substitute currently being used is olestra, a fat-based substitute found in snack foods such as chips. Researchers have expressed concerns with the use of olestra. One concern is that olestra cannot be properly broken down by pancreatic lipase in the digestion process, and therefore is not absorbed in the body. Another concern is that olestra may impede the absorption of such critical nutrients as vitamins A, D, E, and K.

A third concern involves the digestive upset, such as cramps and/or diarrhoea, that some patients have experienced after consuming products containing olestra. Finally, researchers indicate that it is not clear how olestra may or may not affect the absorption of certain pharmaceuticals.

WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO?

After reading through the document, I was very pleased to see that Dr. Wylie-Rosett concludes, "Within the context of a healthy dietary pattern, fat substitutes, when used judiciously, may provide some flexibility in dietary planning." She is also quick to note that, "Factors that affect energy balance specifically, i.e. portion control and physical activity, are likely to have a greater impact on weight than does the use of fat-modified products. Thus, substitution of low-fat for full-fat products may not be effective in lowering body weight if other strategies for weight control are not implemented."

I couldn't agree with her more. In my practice, I have found that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to assess how you eat, what you eat, and why you eat; incorporate a frequent and consistent exercise program; and make sure that stress reduction is a part of the process.

Specifically, I encourage all of my patients to incorporate quality, nourishing foods in their everyday diet. What I mean by this is women need to eat the way our ancestors ate - close to the earth, consuming lots of whole fresh foods. This includes vegetables; whole grains; legumes; raw seeds and nuts; cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and trout, as well as free-range meats and poultry; low acid fruits, particularly enzyme-rich papayas and melons; and plenty of water.

Besides trimming your waistline, exercise has far reaching benefits - from helping to prevent osteoporosis and breast cancer to supporting weight management and stress relief, there isn't a system in our bodies that doesn't rejuvenate itself with regular exercise. Even 20 minutes a day, every day, can do wonders. And don't think you need to run five miles every day of the week. Walking, Pilates, yoga, swimming, and biking all give you the aerobic and calorie-burning benefits you are looking for. Even thirty minutes of gardening can burn 150 to 200 calories!

Finally, a good stress management program is central to your success. You must have healthy, proactive ways to combat the stresses of life. Some of my favourite forms of stress reduction include deep breathing, affirmations, visualization, meditation, aromatherapy, and laughter. When you find the form that works best for you - whatever it may be - be sure to make it an integral part of your daily life.

Here's to your good health!

Susan M. Lark, MD

P.S. - In the August issue of The Lark Letter, I discuss the recent findings regarding mammograms and detail my approach to lowering your risk for breast cancer. If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive this issue, be sure to subscribe by July 3, 2002. Please go to:http://63.73.158.58/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/mcp?p=041LAX041LPG41pKd012000m3CR03GL

WOMEN'S HEALTH UPDATE FROM SUSAN LARK, M.D.
EMPOWERING WOMEN, RESTORING HEALTH June 26, 2002

PHILLIP DAY'S COMMENT: After the warnings on fat went out in the early 1980's and the exercise fad kicked off, nations such as Britain and America went all-out… and got fatter and fatter and fatter. Today, with more exercise equipment stuffed under more beds than any other nation on Earth, America leads the world in obesity and diabetes. So what went wrong?

The simple answer is, processed high-glycaemic carbohydrates. We have been stuffing outselves with them. Even the 'healthy' morning cereals, smothered in cow's milk, pasteurised to kill all the life in it, rice cakes, chips, potatoes, fat-free chips, soy burgers, soy pizzas, soy sloppy joes, etc. etc. Processed carbs, especially the high-glycaemic ones, convert rapidly to glucose in the body and are then stored as glycogen or fat. Glycogen stores are strictly limited - around 1600 calories of emergency sugars are stuffed into the muscles and liver - while the rest is stored as fat by insulin around the body. Manufacturers still play on the public's ignorance of fat by damning it at every gate. Lack of the essential fats can provoke a whole spectrum of disorders, from Alzheimer's to ADD. But what slips through the police cordon unnoticed are the treacherous processed carbs which we believe will give us energy. Which they do… and a lot more besides.

The answer for those who have yo-yoing weight or have just failed to get off those extra tyres, drop the processed carbs COMPLETELY. These include bread, pasta, potatoes, sweets, candies, rice cakes, or any other treasonous, processed 'health food'. Ditch the cereals, including that 'healthy muesli', and concentrate, as Dr Lark states, on boosting levels of the complex carbohydrates in the diet. You know, the stuff that makes sense: fruits, vegetables, pulses, legumes and small amounts of nuts and seeds. My recipe book, Food For Thought, gives practical ideas for the eating plan we discuss in Health Wars. A fat loss program should contain the following principles:

o Eat more meals, but smaller (200-300 cals of good quality nutrition x 6 meals a day)
o No fat-free meals. Fats are essential. Take in those foods that contain good quality omega fats, such as flax oil, fish oils, sesame/sunflower seeds or essential fatty acid supplements.
o No processed high glycaemic carbohydrates.
o No breakfast except for pieces of fruit before noon on an empty stomach. Eat regularly during the day to stabilise blood sugar. A balanced diet with all the good foods is essential.
o 80% of diet should contain high water-content, hi-fibre, living, organic foods (fruits, pulses, legumes and vegetables)
o Drink good, clean water (4 pints a day)
o Supplement with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants
o Aerobic exercise. Walking briskly for 15 minutes a day is especially ideal for the elderly after the usual medical clearances.
o Rest!

Go forth and do not multiply.

High Security Hospitals: Janet's been in for 22 years.
If she admits she's mad, they'll let her out
By Sophie Goodchild, Home Affairs Correspondent

Janet Cresswell, like other patients held in Broadmoor, is not allowed glass in case she harms herself. On her 71st birthday this year, the writer had to use a plastic chamber pot to display the bouquet of freesias and carnations from her daughter.

For 22 years, she has lived amid child killers and serial murderers. Ms Cresswell has killed no one. She was sent to Broadmoor after taking a vegetable knife to her psychiatrist's buttocks; a serious crime but not one that would normally carry a life sentence.

Ms Cresswell's name does not appear on the hospital's list of patients deemed eligible for transfer to a bed in a medium secure unit. She refuses to go under the supervision of a Home Office psychiatrist. She refuses because, she says, she is not mad.

In a case reminiscent of Catch 22, as long as she insists she is not a dangerous psychiatric case, she will be detained as a potentially threatening mental case.

When this newspaper highlighted her case two years ago, Ms Cresswell was receiving neither medication nor psychotherapy. However, just days after the story was published, the grandmother was taken to the intensive care wing at Broadmoor and forced to take anti-psychotic medication against her will.

Since then, her privileges and those of other patients have gradually been eroded, beginning with a Home Office ban on patients in secure hospitals owning computers, a draconian measure imposed after male inmates at Ashworth hospital on Merseyside were found downloading internet pornography.

Before her word processor was confiscated, Ms Cresswell wrote letters, essays and a play, 'The One Sided Wall', which was performed at London's Bush Theatre. She won the Arthur Koestler prize for an essay on the history of Bedlam, the notorious lunatic asylum.

Until recently, one of Ms Cresswell's favourite hobbies was bowls. When Broadmoor officials decided that men and women could not mix socially, her matches on the hospital's bowling green came to an abrupt end.

In letters to mental health campaign groups, the hospital authorities have justified Ms Cresswell's continued incarceration by telling them she is suffering from "classic symptoms of a major mental illness".

Independent medical experts disagree. Professor Alec Jenner, a retired professor of psychiatry at Sheffield University, who has corresponded with Ms Cresswell, says she is "quite harmless". Her flaw, he says, is that she is stubborn.

"If she had played ball with the authorities then she could have been released a long time ago," he said. "I can't see any need for her to be staying there. But neither side is prepared to compromise enough for her to be released."

Until a compromise is reached, her daughter Jane, a nurse, must tell her teenage grandchildren that Broadmoor is their grandmother's home.

"They just want people to rebel and then have a reason for keeping them in there," she said. "I've tried everything but I'm banging my head against a brick wall. It is so awful that I do not take my children. They are doing exams. I don't want them to have stress. They speak to her on the phone and they just know that is where she lives."

At Christmas in 2000, Ms Cresswell tried to commit suicide by hoarding her pills, but her daughter was not officially informed. Instead, she found out from night staff at Broadmoor. "It's going from bad to worse," Ms Johnson said. "I got friendly with one of the nurses who had left the hospital. She told me someone had written a report to say my mother had smashed up the kitchen, but the nurses refused to sign it because it was untrue. They have to have a reason for keeping her in there."

The Independent on Sunday approached Broadmoor for a comment on Ms Cresswell's plight but the hospital refused to give one. "We are unable to comment on individual cases," said a spokeswoman.

Leading voices call for change
Erin Pizzey, founder of the first women's refuge: "Unless you are prepared to grovel to the authorities you are punished. If she [Janet Cresswell] had been assessed today, she would never have been sent to Broadmoor. I hope they see sense and let her out. I had a breakdown for three months; if you're a woman people say you're mad."

Joan Bakewell, writer and broadcaster: "We need people to be rehabilitated but prisons do not rehabilitate people."

Baroness Kennedy QC, human rights campaigner: "Mental health provisions in this country are simply not good enough. Unless people have champions on the outside it is very, very hard to get their cases properly examined. We also need to re-examine certain cases in light of developments in psychiatry."

Lorraine Kelly, television presenter: "I really welcome this campaign. Mental health seems to be at the bottom of a very long list of priorities. I would like to see more money being spent on trying to get patients out of these special hospitals. It would actually save the Government expense, but more importantly it would give people with mental illness a far greater quality of life."
Jonathan Thompson and Sophie Goodchild - 16 June 2002

PHILLIP DAY'S COMMENT: This type of abuse continues in psychiatric units where a trial of wills often condemns citizens to needless misery and incarceration. As most know, I am no soft touch when it comes to punishing wrong-doing, or having dangerous criminals or citizens off the streets for the common good. There is however a clear line that can be drawn under certain cases like Janet's where a citizen has ended up in a no-win situation with no voice. Janet Cresswell's imprisonment in maximum security Broadmoor is a clear travesty. The sooner this elderly lady is released, the better.

Phillip Day is an investigative reporter and health researcher whose recently released book The Mind Game, investigates the abuses of psychiatry and the modern mental health system.
www.credence.org

Hope for Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers

A senior scientific advisor to the New Delhi government revealed that Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a distressing and debilitating condition affecting millions of people, is often caused by a chemical commonly used by utilities as a drinking water additive.

The symptoms of IBS include nausea, loss of appetite, pain in the stomach, gas formation and 'bloated' feeling, constipation, followed by intermittent diarrhoea and headache.

Professor A.K. Susheela and her scientific colleagues at the Fluorosis Research and Rural Development Foundation found that Irritable Bowel Syndrome, also known as non-ulcer dyspepsia, colitis, 'spastic colon' or Crohn's Disease, can be caused (or exacerbated) by intakes of chemically treated drinking water. Biopsy results of the adverse effects on gastric cells are shown in surprisingly detailed electron micrographs.
(See http://www.npwa.freeserve.co.uk/IBS.html ).

According to scientists from Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Dunn Clinical Nutrition Unit, Oxford, England, IBS is the second highest cause of absenteeism from work in the UK after back pain.

"A third of people in Britain have occasional symptoms of IBS, and 1 in 10 have symptoms bad enough to require medical attention," says the British Society of Gastroenterology and The Professional Society for Gastroenterologists.

The problem is also widespread in the United States, Ireland and Australia.

According to the Bristol-Meyers-Squibb, "There is currently no effective therapy for IBS. It is a chronic, fluctuating disorder that can have a significant impact on daily functioning and overall well-being. IBS is the second most common cause of work absenteeism after the common cold and affects up to one in five Americans, at an estimated direct and indirect cost to the health care system of more than USD $33 billion each year."

In the United States a new bill has been put before the United States Senate. The bill, S. 2562, known as the "Inflammatory Bowel Disease Act", was put forward by Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Thad Cochran (R-MS).

In 1998, The Irish Times reported that 20% of people in the Republic of Ireland suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

The Australian Gastroenterology Institute said, "Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a very common problem, and symptoms of this type are experienced by nearly one in seven people."

Professor Susheela and her co-workers discovered that chemically-induced IBS can be successfully reversed without medication simply by avoiding water and products containing the chemical.
http://www.npwa.freeserve.co.uk/IBS.html

Dear All,
I hope our readers derive as much pleasure as I do from the way people are willing to help others thousands of miles away - people that they will probably never meet. It is both moving and confirming. It confirms that once people have seen the stupidity and danger of this silly practice they just can't walk by on the other side of the street and let it happen to someone else - at least not without warning them.

And then, of course, there is the threat to democracy in countries which pride themselves on their democracy - the democracy that their sons and daughters sometimes are called upon to risk their lives to defend.

The following letters from Liz Vaughan from Cumbria and Ailsa Boyden from Australia elaborate on these themes. These are followed by an e-mail from Roy and Carol Smith who give us an update on some of the letters that have been printed in their local papers (including Stephen Sherrill's letter from California) on the Allerdale scandal.
Paul Connett. - June 29, 2002.
_______________________________________________________________
Letter #19 to South Africa. Liz Vaughan, Cumbria, UK ,liz@vaughan200.fsnet.co.uk.

Dear President Mbeki, Deputy President Zuma, Health Minister Dr Msimang and members of the South African Government.

We are a consortium of councils in the UK, North West Councils Against Fluoridation, we also speak on behalf of Northern Ireland Councils Against Fluoridation. These are elected councils representing in the region of 6 million people, the issue has been debated again and again in our council chambers and we find there is very little evidence to show any benefits to teeth of water fluoridation. Damage to health is well documented, fluoride has adverse effects on bones, the thyroid gland, etc. The Government-commissioned York Review into water fluoridation stated that although the estimated benefit is approximately 14.6% improvement in tooth decay, in fluoridated areas 48% of people have dental fluorosis and 12.5% need expensive veneering of their teeth, current cost is in the region of £200 per tooth, veneering needs renewing in about 7 years.
(See web site <http://www.npwa.freeserve.co.uk>http://www.npwa.freeserve.co.uk )

We are very sad to hear that fluoridation is proposed for the people in your beautiful country and urge you to reject it. As elected councils our policy has always been to uphold the basic human rights of the people we represent to choose what medication they and their families wish to take and not to have 'preventative treatment' enforced through the public drinking water. We wish to protect the people from a substance added to the drinking water that failed the safety tests in Europe and has not been tested as being fit for human consumption in the UK. To dispose of the toxic waste of the phosphate fertiliser industries into drinking water supplies is deplorable.

With fraternal good wishes.

Yours sincerely,
Cllr Liz Vaughan.
North West Councils Against Fluoridation.

______________________________________________________________
Ailsa Boyden writes to United Utilities which have clandestinely fluoridated the water of Allerdale, West Cumbria despite the vote of the people and their councillors.

To: Mr John Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, United Utilities,
john.roberts@uuplc.co.uk and Mr John Barnes,
Director, United Utilities, John.barnes@uuplc.co.uk

Dear Messrs Roberts and Barnes,

Re: Refluoridation of Allerdale Borough's water supply and legal responsibility

In the light of so much public and council opposition, the refluoridation of Allerdale Borough's water supply is yet another encroachment upon democracy. There is a libertarian issue at stake. Would you, and Public Health Consultant Dr Peter Tiplady, like it if the Allerdale Borough Council were to send a policeman to your homes, on a daily basis, for the rest of your lives, to force each member of your families to take a known accumulative poison that might benefit 0.5% of one tooth surface of a child you had never met? No. Of course you would not.

To force fluoride upon the unwilling is another step down the road taken by the former Romanian dictator who forced all Romanian women of childbearing age to be gynaecologically examined on a monthly basis so the government could be certain that none were having abortions. The Romanian Government's aim being population maximization not dental benefits! You might argue that fluoridation is one enormous step away from these forced physical examinations. It is not. It is one more "stone" being loosened under democracy's already flimsy "foundation".

Populations have striven long to achieve a measure of democracy. Many still die as a result of seeking it. Those assisting with fluoridation's undemocratic process are also assisting in the destruction of people's hard-won freedoms.

It is a matter of grave concern that United Utilities has chosen to fluoridate water supplied to a large majority of people in opposition to this measure; especially in view of the fact that the true representative of these people, the Allerdale Borough Council, voted against it.

With 83% of the public and also the council voting against fluoridation, there seems to have been a degree of underhandedness involved in the unreported recommencement of fluoridation. Had United Utilities and/or Dr Peter Tiplady taken the ethical high ground in regard to this matter, at the very least, the Allerdale Borough Council would have been forewarned of the intention to reinstitute fluoridation.

It is to council's credit to have taken the opinion of the public into account. It is to others shame not to have consulted with council. If Public Health had the will they would find the way to opt out of any fluoridation agreement made decades ago; especially in the light of new scientific evidence that shows no benefit to teeth from ingesting fluoride and that reveals adverse effects from doing so.

This brings to mind legal responsibility which United Utilities and Dr Tiplady may not have considered. What would be the legal implications for United Utilities and Dr Tiplady in the event of an overfeed of fluoride causing mass poisonings?

There have been many accidents resulting from "fail-safe" equipment. See http://www.fluoridealert.org "Fluoridation Accidents & Poisonings".

Would current liability insurance indemnify United Utilities and Dr Tiplady against litigants seeking damages for injury or death resulting from fluoride poisoning via water supplied by United Utilities? If you think, "Yes" it may be time to rethink this supposition and consult the relevant insurer/s for a corroborating answer. United Utilities' insurer, and Dr Tiplady's, may think it a gross negligence forcing a known poisonous substance onto unwilling consumers who have voted overwhelmingly against this procedure; particularly as you have now been told that there have been a lot of fluoride spills into municipal supplies and that mass poisonings and deaths have resulted.

I leave you to ponder the above and ask you to please share this letter with Dr Tiplady.

Yours faithfully,
Ailsa Boyden
AUSTRALIA.
_____________________________________________________________

Roy and Carol Smith update us on the Allerdale scandal.

Dear Paul,

3 letters appeared today in the Keswick Reminder mckanes-keswick@btconnect.com about the fluoridation of Allerdale, 2 anti and 1 pro and I'll add ours from last week. As yet, I don't know if Stephen Sherrill's letter has been sent to you, so it's copied below as no. 2.

The Keswick Reminder is a brief weekly paper of only 4 pages but it takes local issues very seriously and is following the fluoridation debate closely, although the Keswick area itself is not artificially fluoridated.

Roy and Carol.

Dear Editor -

Ref. Cornhow Fluoridation Plant

Both United Utilities (UU) and the North Cumbria Health Authority (NCHA) have totally ignored their moral obligation to inform the public on re-fluoridation from Cornhow. Local democracy has been trampled on, in spite of the recent poll showing 83% of the respondents and the Council vote coming out against fluoridation.

Together with the results of the York Review, this should have meant fluoride being removed from water supplies in Allerdale and Copeland. Fluoridation chemicals have twice failed the formal vote in Europe, so why have they been awarded British and European safety standard numbers in the UK?

Why hasn't fluoride been banned by Royal Decree as it was in Holland in the 1970s? Most of our European partners have rejected or banned it, when health risks ignored by this country were taken seriously there, thus respecting and protecting their people's Human Rights to choose their own medication without compulsion.

Is an obsolete mid-twentieth century agreement relevant to today's generation, which when formulated had no basis in existing legislation, and therefore was experimental? It was not legalised until 1985.

If there was nothing sinister about re-introducing fluoridation on June 10th, why weren't the 65,000 inhabitants informed beforehand? Instead of refuting existing health risks the onus should be on the proponents to prove otherwise.

In fact the York Review of October 2000 was unable to find strong 'evidence' of an improvement in dental health but certainly found endemic fluorosis.

Mary Lawley, 23 Briar Rigg, Keswick.
Friday, June 28th 2002 - Page 7:

(Roy and Carol tell us that "Mary is a Member of Cumbrians Against Fluoridation and the National Pure Water Association, UK, and has been fighting fluoridation for decades").

----------------------------------------

Dear Editor,

The water fluoridation debate has been raging for over half a century with vigorous opponents and proponents on both sides of the issue. But for a non-expert to form and intelligent and logical conclusion regarding fluoridation, he must ask two fundamental questions. (1) Does it do what proponents claim it does? (2) Will it do no harm?

If it works, then after 50+ years we should be able to see some evidence of its success.

Contrary to claims, virtually all of the recent large scale studies show little or no significant difference in the tooth decay rates between fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities. Paradoxically, some communities that have been fluoridated for decades show a higher rate of tooth decay today than their non-fluoridated counterparts and communities that have abandoned fluoridation have not experienced a predicted increase in tooth decay.

Furthermore, over the same half century, a significant reduction in tooth decay has occurred in communities world wide that have never fluoridated their water.

On the issue of harm, it's safe to say that most ordinary citizens know very little about fluoride. But irrefutable evidence of fluoride's toxicity can be found in any standard toxicology textbook. Most people know that lead is toxic and that it has been removed from gasoline and paint. And even if lead were a super cavity fighter, who would be in favour of adding it to drinking water? This fluoridation folly must end immediately.

STEPHEN F SHERRILL

(Roy and Carol write: Thank you, Stephen. Your letter was also printed by the Cockermouth Times and Star letters@times-and-star.co.uk today, along with 3 others which included one from Australia - more tomorrow.)

----------------------------
A proponent writes in today's Keswick Reminder :

Dear Editor,

Fluoridation of water supplies

Fluoride is essential for strengthening the mineral composition of the tooth enamel making it more resistant to acid attacks. Fluoride that is ingested during the formation of teeth produces a lifelong beneficial effect because it is incorporated into the developing tooth substance. Children who drink fluoridated water from birth have 90% less extractions during childhood than those who have drunk water with less than the recommended fluoride level (0.7 - 1.2 parts per million). This is the advice of the British Medical Association, based on very well documented and researched international information.

This particularly relevant now that so many of the products destined for our children have a very high sugar content.

The campaign against fluoridation of water shows how effective the action of a small, dedicated group can be where health is concerned. However, we are talking about the future health of our children's teeth - and much else. Do these people want to go back to the days when only local water was available and those who in areas without natural fluoride always had bad teeth and the most appreciated 21st gift for a girl was a set of false teeth?

N C TAYLOR
---------------------------

Here is Roy and Carol's letter that they had in the Keswick Reminder on 21/6/02, but they don't know about the other weekly press, and the daily News and Star letters@cumbrian-newspapers. co.uk has not printed it, yet

Dear Editor,

Fluoridation: after many years, the debate gets no better. North Cumbria Health Authority's arrogance is boundless. Why force feed 65,000 people with something they do not want? Why has this un-elected body led by un-elected Dr Tiplady ignored the wishes of the people, their elected representatives and their MP? Will someone please explain why after 34 years people are not allowed to change their minds on fluoridation, and why after 25 years fluoridated West Cumbria was near the bottom (167th) of the league table and unfluoridated East Cumbria near the top?(7th)

What right have they to compel treatment on the public that does damage 1-in-2 children's teeth (fluorosis), on the assumption that some may not develop problems? Science Fiction as proved by the York Review. Where is the strong evidence it improves dental health in the population? Even York couldn't find strong evidence out of 3,000 papers, more fiction! We have recent information showing that fluoridation is not working in America, either.

Our European partners had no trouble either rejecting or banning artificial fluoridation. What is the problem in the UK? People not looking for evidence of harm cannot hope to find it. If everything is fine why is the Medical Research Council still looking at fluoridation? Are west Cumbrian mothers told young children up to 6 months and over 6 months will receive 3 x and 6 x the recommended dose respectively, using fluoridated water to reconstitute milk? (BMA Statistics.) We asked Dr Tiplady 6 months ago for comment on this, as yet no reply!

Compulsion violates a 'core principle' of the NHS Plan: "The NHS will shape its services around the needs and preferences of individual patients" ie not force fed mass treatment based on thirst - totally unscientific. Please stop behaving like health police. This is the 21st century not a police state.

Yours faithfully,

AR Smith(Mr) and CA Smith(Mrs)

You can contact Carolyn and Roy Smith , who are members of Cumbrians Against Fluoridation, and the UK NPWA and founder members of F.A.N. at smith33@lineone.net

They thank all those who have sent letters to United Utilities and the local press. These letters from around the world give them hope and keep their batteries charged!

New England Journal Changes Rules
and Says it's OK to Pay off its Reviewers

Editors at The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most prestigious medical journals in America, announced on June 12 a change in journal policy that would allow experts to comment on the effectiveness of a drug or device, even when that expert has a financial tie to the maker of the product under review.

The move could leave the journal open to criticism that drug companies and other private entities could wield more influence in the publication process.

The new rules do not apply to "original articles" -- articles presenting new data on the causes or treatments of various conditions. In those cases, the journal discloses the study's funding and the financial interests of the researchers, and that won't change.

But they are changing rules applying to "review articles," where noted experts in a particular field provide commentary on new study findings, and editorials, in which experts are asked to comment on new findings.

The policy has now been changed to read that the authors of these types of articles will not have any "significant" monetary ties to private companies that might stand to gain from a review article in the Journal.

And the editors base their definition of "significant financial interest" on guidelines issued by the US National Institutes of Health and the Association of American Medical Colleges, which set the amount at $10,000 or more in any given year.
The New England Journal of Medicine 2002;346:1901-1902

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: Terrific. The entire June 5, 2002 issue of JAMA featured the major conflict of interest with the peer review system, and the next week we find that NEJM decides to loosen its grip on the issue.

Of course, this is all for our benefit. Apparently, they couldn't find an expert not being paid off by the drug companies.

The real problem is that drug companies try to influence physicians' behaviour with money. NEJM should be addressing this problem, but instead they capitulate and change the rules. It is now okay for a physician to be paid off by the drug companies as long as they don't receive more than $10,000.

Makes perfect sense from drug company's perspective! However, to me, this should be a headline story in the major periodicals. Unfortunately, it has not captured the media's attention.

For more on Dr Mercola's perspectives on this and a range of other medical subjects, please see www.mercola.com.

Obesity Causes 300,000 Deaths a Year in the US
and 30,000 Annually in England
by Alex Vass

Most adults in England are overweight, and one in five, around 8 million in total, is obese, says a government report. If the current trend continues, by 2005 a quarter of women and a fifth of men could be obese.

Currently 30,000 deaths a year are linked to obesity. The cost to the NHS is estimated at £500m ($700m;  800m) a year.

The report, by the parliamentary public accounts committee, says people responsible for health care, education, transport, sport, and recreation and for the labelling and marketing of food should work together on an "integrated approach." A focus on helping people to avoid becoming overweight and then obese - as much as on helping people who are already obese-is needed, the report recommends.

The report found that most general practices promoted healthy eating and physical activity through general information. However, few sought to identify patients at risk of obesity.

It adds that GPs have been "hampered by the lack of evidence-based evaluation and guidance on the range of interventions they might use, ranging from diets, drug therapy, surgery, and innovations such as exercise on prescription."

According to the committee the increase in obesity reflects changes in lifestyle, the increasing mechanization of modern life, people being more sedentary, and a diet richer in energy dense foods.

The prevalence in England is lower than that in Germany and the United States, but there has been a big increase that parallels the trend in the United States.

Public health minister Yvette Cooper said: "There are clear links between obesity and our biggest killers, heart disease and cancer. The NHS Plan, the national cancer plan, and the national service framework for coronary heart disease include action to address obesity, diet and nutrition, and physical activity. Work on guidance on prevention and management of obesity at a local level is already under way."

The report, Tackling Obesity in England, is available here.
British Medical Journal 2002;324:192 January 26, 2002

PHILLIP DAY'S COMMENT: So here we have it. Once again, clear evidence that diet and lifestyle are doing us in. How much responsibility does the individual share and how much the food industry for providing the junk in the first place? It's reminiscent of the tobacco charade, where people were blaming the cigarette companies for giving them lung cancer. In today's 'Me: The Victim' society, I have an unpopular hypothesis: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS. Of course, we will always have undesirable products being marketed by unsavoury means into an unsuspecting public. The clear message though is that we should be vigilant. Government has no intention of telling the food industry to provide healthy, nutritious food to the public, so let's not wait around expecting it to happen. Literally, start voting your disapproval with your shopping basket, and restore yourself to optimum health with that unimpeachable 'feel good' factor using my Health Wars eating program while you are registering your economic protest.

Oh, and here's another thing: kids don't know what is good for them, so I believe we need to be less tolerant and more strident about our children's dysfunctional eating habits. I am constantly approached by woeful parents whose children have developed serious health complaints because they allowed them to eat whatever they wanted (one child had a colon section at the age of three and a half). All it takes is a change of heart and a desire to improve your health, motivation and looks the easy way and to help your family do the same. Lead by example. And don't forget to walk the walk! CONSISTENT exercise is a vital part of the equation. www.phillipday.com

HEALTHY AT 100! WITH PHILLIP DAY

Perth - Adelaide - Melbourne - Canberra - Sydney - Darwin - Brisbane - New Zealand
(and everywhere in-between)

After his highly successful and mammoth, no-holes-barred Antipodean Health Wars tour of 2001, internationally acclaimed health researcher, and world-class lecturer Phillip Day is returning to Australia and New Zealand. Phillip's hugely popular health presentations, known and respected around the world, come together in a blockbuster lecture set for the forthcoming tour which will also contain explosive material from his new book, The Mind Game.

Phillip is author of Health Wars, World Without AIDS, Food For Thought, Cancer: Why We're Still Dying To Know The Truth and The Mind Game. Famous for dealing with awkward subjects and explaining solutions in his own unique style, Phillip is currently undertaking a monster 166-date tour of the UK and Ireland ("We even got helicoptered out to the Scilly Isles in a Force 8 gale!"). Phillip has decided to compact his current NINE-HOUR, THREE-SESSION extravaganza of incredible, uplifting and empowering health and wellness information into a one-evening blockbuster Australians and New Zealanders are going to remember for the rest of their lives. The title of the talk? HEALTHY AT 100.

For those new to the Phillip Day experience:

"My subject is Life Management: all the things we should have been taught at school about how to survive in the outside world, but weren't. How many of us are dying unnecessarily? How many of us are not living, but just existing? How many are crippled with the misery of illnesses to which we do not know the answers? How many enslaved by debt when a simple strategy can move us through the woods to the green pastures beckoning? Who among us is terrified by what is happening in the world today? How many are fearful of violence, fearful of what our nations have become, fearful of losing our security? How many are just plain fearful?

This is a wake-up call to all the ordinary, decent citizens out there who want to take their precious country back from the violence, the sleaze, the pop-pornography, the fiscal rape of the tax-payer and from a healthcare system still following the wrong course with the maximum of precision. If you feel outraged over what your nation has become, do you know that millions of people think the same way you do, but have stayed silent over issues our grandfathers took for granted? These millions are now stirring and are determined to say 'Enough!' Come along and discover how you can join us and make a difference."

THE WORKSHOP - (Bring a notepad and a sharp pencil!)
Come prepared! Use Phillip's famously unique, often humorous, poignant and intelligent insights to learn and master the tools and skills you can use IMMEDIATELY to make incredible, positive and lasting changes in your life. WHATEVER YOU DO, don't miss this chance to hear the talk that has been educating and ENTHRALLING AUDIENCES EVERYWHERE. This information can literally change your life!

DON'T PANIC IF YOU CANNOT WRITE FAST ENOUGH! BOOKS AND TAPES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT THE MEETING VENUES.

SO WHAT'S IT ALL GOING TO BE ABOUT?

Find out the SIX ASTOUNDINGLY SIMPLE REASONS why the Karakorum, Abkhasians and Hunzakuts are routinely LIVING TO A HEALTHY AND MOBILE 100+ in the absence of Western healthcare, and how you can too!

Why are 1 in 2 over 70 years of age expected to get Alzheimer's disease and other 'mental impairment problems'? WHAT CAN YOU DO to prevent this? How does the liver play a vital role?

What are the twelve foods you must AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE?

Find out the ten ways you can BURN BODY FAT RAPIDLY!

How can the number one killer, heart disease, BE SO EASILY AND CHEAPLY PREVENTED? Why is this life-saving information, researched to the highest levels of biochemistry, NOT BEING CIRCULATED?

What can you do naturally to PREVENT AND TREAT CANCER, according to leading experts? Why is the public deliberately denied this life-saving protocol?

Discover the HARMFUL TOXINS we innocently allow into our bedrooms and bathrooms that are contributing to our misery, physical handicap and early death.

Why are women today SUFFERING an astonishing increase in hormonal problems, breast cancer, cysts, fibroids and gynaecological problems? WHAT CAN BE DONE simply to remove this misery from so many lives?

How is psychiatry behind the DAMAGING OF OUR SOCIETIES today? Why can this branch of 'medicine' justifiably be labelled A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY?

Who are the 'Dark Gods' of psychiatry, who spawned two world wars, have revolutionised the educational system TO PREVENT CHILDREN LEARNING CORRECTLY, introduced political correctness, LEGALLY REPLACED PARENTS as the arbiters of the family, maimed and brain-damaged HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TRUSTING PATIENTS with drugs, psychosurgery and electrocution, and today preside over the DOPING UP OF OUR SCHOOLKIDS AND ELDERLY, the destruction of our RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, the non-effectiveness of our political and legal systems and THE SUBVERTING OF OUR LAWS? What can be done to expose them and GET SOCIETY BACK ON TRACK?

What's really behind 'mental illnesses', such as ADD/ADHD, Aspbergers, autism, schizophrenia, over-eating, epilepsy, addictions, depression, insomnia, anxiety, anorexia, bulimia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS (motor neuron) and others? Are there SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT-FORWARD MEASURES you can use for yourself to help or reverse these conditions?

What about AIDS, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, heartburn, diabetes, Crohn's, vaccination mania, stroke, foot and mouth disease, mad cow and other ailments afflicting our societies today? What is the GREAT NEWS we can bring to bear to eradicate these from our own bodies, our families and our nations?

Why do people do what they do? Why are some MOTIVATED AND SUCCESSFUL and some aren't? Why are some POPULAR and some aren't? Why do people get addicted to moods and destructive behaviour in relationships and business? What can be done to coach ourselves to avoid these painful blights on our lives and set ourselves on the road to peace, laughter and progress? What can we do TODAY to TURN THE CORNER, climb out of the rut and enjoy a healthier, wealthier, happier, fulfilling and LONGER life and RECLAIM OUR NATIONS?

Phillip Day: "My job for the past 17 years has been to grasp an understanding of human behaviour and assist people to develop the TOOLS AND SKILLS to HELP THEMSELVES, regardless of the condition in which I found them. My message to you for 2002 is simple: Whether you are sick, unhealthy, depressed, demotivated, disliking your job, fed up with a relationship, broke, fearful, beset by feelings of doom or just plain, flat-out BORED WITH YOUR EXISTENCE, if you do only ONE POSITIVE THING for 2002, start the revolution in your life and your nation with a visit to any one of my meetings for a complete mental and physical 60,000-MILE SERVICE! Let's get you up on the rack, change your oil and get the wheel nuts off to see WHAT CAN BE DONE. Get ready for some action and let's have some fun!"

Ticket sales are at: http://www.credence.com.au/tour/

The tour schedule is being constantly updated, so please check regularly

Please note: Admission will only be granted to those in possession of a valid ticket.
Please arrive in time to ensure that you secure a suitable seat.
No recording devices are permitted without express permission from Credence Events Management. All net door proceeds will go towards the Campaign for Truth in Medicine and Cancer Prevention Coalition, assisting these two worthy organisations in their missions to press for real medical and scientific reform.

Sunny Delight is Additive Nightmare, say Parents
By Nicole Martin

Food targeted at children was criticised by parents as 'vile', 'sugary' and 'over-processed' yesterday.

In a survey of 800 parents, the drink Sunny Delight won the award for 'additive nightmare', with accusations that it had 'pitifully low levels of real fruit juice - just 15 per cent'.

The 'pester power' award for manipulative advertising or marketing techniques went to McDonalds Happy meals for using toys to entice children into the chain. The verdicts were issued by the Food Commission following the survey of parents.

Other products which failed to impress the parents' jury included Dairylea Lunchables which contain ham and cheese slices and wheat crackers. Parents described the snack as 'over-processed rubbish'.

Criticism was also levelled at Kellogg's Real Fruit Winders, a wound-up length of fruit-flavoured jelly. This won the 'tooth rot' award.

Annie Seeley, of the Food Commission, said: "Children's foods are often low in essential nutrients but high in fat, salt and sugar, and rely on artificial colouring and flavourings for their appeal."

Kraft Foods, makers of Dairylea Lunchables, said that parents recognised "the importance of making food attractive and tasty" and gave them the product "as an occasional and fun treat".

McDonald's insisted that all its advertising was "legal, decent, honest and truthful". Procter and Gamble, the makers of Sunny Delight, said it was not surprised by the verdict given "the high profile, controversy and criticism levelled against the brand following its launch". Kellogg's did not comment.

Among the foods highlighted for praise were Sun-Maid Raisins and Captain Organic dried fruit, which were said to be ideal for children's lunchboxes.

Sainsbury's Blue Parrot Café range and Organic Brands were praised for taking steps to reduce additives.

Martin Paterson, deputy director general of the Food and Drink Federation, said parents and children could work together to create a healthy lunchbox.

"No one food is bad. Balance is the key and demonising individual products which are marketed as snacks or treats may be unhelpful to both parents and children."
Daily Telegraph 16th July 2002

PHILLIP DAY'S COMMENTS: Actually, I think demonising products with poor nutritional content and a potential for ill-health is absolutely the helpful way to go. How many parents are lamenting their children's behaviour, obesity or dental nightmares without blaming themselves for all the junk they have been shovelling into their winkies for so long? Next year's target for my tours will include the food industry and its processed foods, which are often forgotten in the public's long-running indignation towards the drug industry. I think families are finally wising up to the overwhelming difference food really makes to their happiness and existence. Remember, if you don't buy it, they won't make it. It's a money thing.

Thank You For Your Support!
By Phillip Day

The final meeting of my UK tour was completed at Tregenna Castle in St Ives, Cornwall, England on 31st July. Looking back over some 145 dates we have completed, part of me balked a little to begin with at the sheer scope of what we had bitten off. However, a challenge is a challenge, and the original goal to get the CTM and Credence messages into parts of the UK we hadn't already visited was ably accomplished thanks in great measure to the sterling efforts of a huge number of people who helped organise the venues and promote them.

Samantha and I flew to the Isles of Scilly, off the south-west corner of England. We went to the Isle of Skye. We travelled from Ramsgate to Inverness, from Aberdeen to Plymouth, and went around Ireland and Wales. We did the cosy little provincial meetings; we did the metropolitan giants. We had good hotels, we had rotten hotels. We had one hotel, whose bathroom wall collapsed in the middle of the night as if someone had flown a jetliner into it. We did 14,000 miles in our trusty van, nicknamed Blanche. In fact, the only areas we didn't do were the Channel Islands, Setlands and Orkneys and the Isle of Man. Next year, we aim to do some of these areas at some point. If you live in these zones, and would like to help us promote a meeting to get the good word out, please e-mail Edward at edward@credenceman.freeserve.co.uk and he'll put your name down for next year.

I would like to thank all the hosts, who did such a selfless and marvellous job. I would like to thank the Credence team, including the Steves, Eddie, Jenny, Lucy, Sheryl, Kate, Lilly and Shirley for their amazing back-up. I would like to thank Samantha for her unflappable professionalism and keen organisation for running the book table. I would like to thank my father Edward for organising the whole thing with unfathomable energy. I would like to thank the Campaign for Truth in Medicine for their valuable part in promoting the talks. And lastly, I would like to thank each and every one of you who turned out in all weathers, some of you travelling great distances, because you had a yearning to help your country and your family take a turn for the better.

And in a sense, the question has been answered about what we are going to be doing next year. For, in travelling around the country of my birth, I was able to fall in love with it all over again, and see with a startling clarity what needs to be done to help her survive and thrive for the future. It's going to be a daring and provocative mission. Not like anything we have ever done before. Part of it will be about putting the 'Great' back into 'Britain'. And it's going to capture your imagination.

Until January, then!

Top shops blacklist 'danger' chemicals
By Ananova

Five high street retailers have agreed to eliminate potentially harmful chemicals from the products they sell.

Boots, Marks & Spencer, the Co-op, B&Q and the Early Learning Centre will look at the chemicals used in both their own products and those made by suppliers. The announcement follows pressure from Friends of the Earth for retailers to sign a pledge to reduce the levels of chemicals which cause harm when they build up in the body and affect the hormone, immune and nervous system.

Among groups of chemicals it is most concerned about are certain pesticides found in fruit and vegetables and phthalates in plastics, cosmetics and toys.

The pledge requires retailers to identify which of these chemicals are in the products they sell and produce a timetable for phasing out their use in own-brand products with a target to eliminate them within five years.

Stores signing up also agree to put pressure on manufacturers of products they stock to do the same.

Clare Oxborrow, safer chemicals campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "We are delighted that these five retailers have signed our risky chemicals pledge. We want all retailers to recognise that it is their responsibility to ensure that the products they sell are as safe as possible."

Mike Barry, environmental systems manager at Marks & Spencer, said: "Both the current benefits and future potential of chemistry is being put at risk by the use of a small number of chemicals that may have a long-term adverse impact on the environment. We are committed to phasing out the use of any such chemicals in our product ranges."

PHILLIP DAY'S COMMENT: As many know, I am a tireless advocate of clearing potentially harmful chemicals out of the house and workplace and replacing them with safe alternatives. In Health Wars and Cancer: Why We're Still Dying to Know the Truth, I explain the problems with many of the common toiletries people use and what can be done to eliminate the threat. I am pleased to see that the message is filtering down to some of the large retailers, who naturally try to please their customers as often as they can. The best way to vote is with your pocket. As with food, companies simply will not develop products that people won't buy.

Vitamin Pills Help Violent Prisoners Behave Better
By Celia Hall - Medical Editor

Vitamin pills dramatically improved the conduct of violent prisoners within a fortnight and could work on disruptive school children and other anti-social elements in society, researchers said yesterday.

The study, carried out in Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution, a maximum security establishment in Buckinghamshire, is the first evidence that good nutrition has a direct effect on behaviour. It involved 231 men aged 18 to 21, all volunteers. Some were given tablets containing vitamins and minerals, as well as fatty acids found in fruit. Others were given dummy tablets.

Within two weeks, among the prisoners taking the supplements there was a 37 per cent fall in serious reports to the governor and 33 per cent reduction in minor reports. This compared with 10 per cent and 6.5 per cent in those taking the dummy tablets. Overall, over a period of about five months, the number of incidents fell by 26 per cent.

The lead researcher, Bernard Gesch, a physiologist from Oxford University, said his team reasoned that, if a good diet helped to promote good physical health, why should nutrients not also work on the brain? Although a prison diet was balanced, he said, prisoners did not always choose the most nutritious food. The supplements gave the recommended daily doses of micro-nutrients.

While there was no formal follow-up, prison officers reported a 40 per cent increase in attacks on staff after the trial ended.

The £108,000 study was paid for by Natural Justice, a charity that studies the causes of criminal behaviour. The Rt Rev Hugh Montefiore, its chairman, said: "This is a revolutionary finding. We are eating more and more fast food; school meals are a matter of choice; we eat less fish; fruit and vegetables are beyond the means of some; and there is less home cooking with wholesome ingredients."

Gen Sir David Ramsbotham, a trustee of the charity and formerly the Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: "It seems to me that if these benefits do something to prevent anti-social behaviour, the earlier we start the process the better."

The Home Office welcomed the report as encouraging, but thought that the study was too small to draw firm conclusions.
Daily Telegraph, June 2002

PHILLIP DAY'S COMMENT: No doubt, and with little surprise, we will gaze on as politicians fail to act on this momentous news. Yet many behavioural studies have been carried out around the world which demonstrate that social violence and a poor, highly processed, low-nutrient diet form a firm connection. Once again, while responding to highly unpopular affairs with uncharacteristic haste, governments will nevertheless fail to prioritise this most simple of remedies for much of what ails us. Can we stifle any more the contempt we feel when we watch our leaders at election time lamenting the breakdown of social order and blaming one another for the country's woes? No doubt it is down to the public to make its anger felt at the inability and unwillingness of its leaders to implement firm measures to society's benefit. But the public can also make the necessary changes to its own diet to reap enormous benefits in both mental and physical health for the future.

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Published by Campaign for Truth in Medicine, UK