Before I tell you what I think might be the best news we have had in a long time, let me ask your indulgence: right now, because of the strength with which people all over the world are resonating with our message, We have 10,647 non-spam emails in our email box. 6,736 are unread. So please rest assured that if you have sent the Natural Solutions Foundation (or me, for that matter) an email and have not gotten a reply it is because we are still plowing through the huge mass of very welcome communications. Every email received by the Natural Solutions Foundation gets answered by a real, live, caring and involved person. Just understand that it may take a bit of time.
As long as we are talking numbers, here are a few more:
179,358 people have sent comments to the FDA through our comments page on the dangerous FDA Guidance. A total of 426,506 folks have tried to send comments through that page but could not for technical (or other) reasons. That is a lot of people responding to this major threat to their health freedom. And, despite what is floating around the internet, it IS a major threat. One prominent health site, Mercola.com, citing the assessment of his “$500 an hour lawyer” poo pooed the idea that there is any threat from the Guidance. They are dead wrong. High fees don’t make an assessment right (or wrong) One usually high priced lawyer looses every case.
Here is what ONE of our lawyers, also high priced, who happens to be in agreement with our other high priced lawyers, wrote on his comments area:
I note that Gavin posted my Threat Assessment regarding the FDA draft CAM
guidance on this blog. The draft was “issued” on 12/26/06, though FDA waited
until 02/26/07 to give notice in the Federal Register, initially allowing
little time to reply. That’s now been extended to 05/29/07. Apparently, some
people, not used to reading the bureaucratic-speak in the draft, don’t
appreciate the potential harm in codifying bad law, thus they consider my
views controversial.
Since comments are limited on this blog [REL notes: he refers here to the health site he was posting on], here is a link to a blog entry of
mine about how the FDA CAM guidance, Codex, the NAU etc. are linked and how
all need attention, since eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. Please
see:
http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/index.php/?p=367
As stated therein, “All of these multiple assaults are, of course, connected.
They are connected in philosophy, proponents and beneficiaries. Their
proponents refuse to allow us the freedom to make our own choices, deeming
that their political power gives them the authority to decide for us. We have
had enough of such deciders. They have given us a medical system that kills
hundreds of thousands each year…”
Please consider all views with an open mind. I for one refuse to disallow
anyone’s efforts to preserve and enhance health freedom, and I refuse to
condemn anyone for disagreeing with my reading of the threat inherent in the
anti-CAM guidance.
Despite the circulation of information on the web saying that the Guidance is not significant, the Natural Solutions Foundation, based on the assessment of our legal team, continues to ring this alarm bell. And the public continues to respond! Remember that the comment period has been extended to May 29 and it is vitally important to make sure that we flood the FDA with our strong commitment to maintaining our access to natural health options.
According to Alexa.com, which tracks internet use, the rank of www.HealthFreedomUSA.org in the US is 17,490 (22,832 in Canada) and 45,631 globally among all the sites that they track! They also say that 3 out of every thousand people using the internet visited our site yesterday! Clearly, the health freedom bell is ringing.
It may, just may, have rung at Codex. True, there were blankets ready to muffle its sound, but sitting in the (seemingly endless) meeting yesterday of the Codex Committee on Food Labeling a rather astonishing thing happened.
You may recall that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (which administer Codex) told Codex in July of 2005 that they wanted it to find ways to implement the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health (GS) and that the Codex Committees on Food Labeling (CCFL) and Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Purposes (CCNFSDU) were tasked with doing just that. You may also recall that both of those committees dragged their feet, played parliamentary games and otherwise dodged that particular responsibility.
But this year, when the Agenda item dealing with implementation of the Global Strategy came up, it was NOT put to the end of the meeting. Instead, representatives from WHO and FAO spoke on the GS and the WHO representative, Dr. Margaret Cheney, laid out what WHO proposed. I had a hard time not whooping with excitement!
WHO wants food global labeling which includes information and statements specifically designed to allow consumers to protect their health by reducing their risk of the non communicable diseases (NCDs) of under nutrition (Cancers, CardioVascular Disease and Stroke, Diabetes and Obesity) AND it wants these labels to contain information on the — fasten your seat belts — dietary management of these diseases!
That means that WHO wants consumers all over the world to know that nutrition, food, nutrients can make them sick, protect them from getting sick, or help them get well if they are sick! That is the very information that the US government does NOT want people to have. It is the very information that CCFL does not want them to have. It is the very information that the US-supported definition of “advertising” — ANY information which is likely to reach the public and change beliefs or action about diet — does not want to allow people to have.
The WHO drew a line in the sand and the teams began to line up. Lots and lots of countries tried to explain why their consumers did not need, should not have, could not have, could not afford, could not understand, would not use, could not handle, information about nutrition on their pre-packaged food labels. Others, including the US, said that we do have mandatory labeling on pre-packaged food and that it really does help consumers to make their food choices.
Now the battle will be WHICH foods are included, which characteristics of foods will be included (total energy, added sugars, transfats, [synthetic ones from partially hydrogenated oils or natural ones or both], etc. Every lobby, every special interest group and those countries that they control, will be fighting for turf and protection for their interests. But some countries and organizations will be fighting for their people and for the right to make informed choices. We’ll see who lines up on which side! You can be sure I will keep you posted!
On another note, at the reception held by the Government of Canada for the CCFL attendees at the magnificent Museum of Civilization last night, the US Codex Point, made it a point to introduce his wife to General Stubblebine and me saying, “I want you to meet Dr. Laibow: she gives me a hard time!”. His wife said, “Yes, I’ve heard the stories!” and we had a very pleasant chat. I guess it was a bit like two attorneys who are arrayed on diametrically opposite sides of an issue still finding a way to maintain civility. Neither Dr. S. nor I changed sides, but we had a meaning conversation (including a discussion about the definition of advertising and its dangers) and opened a door for more conversation. It would be really nice if the health freedom community could engage in that civility. We had a meaningful and possibly productive conversation last night and did not waste any energy on enmity. We focused on the issues and apparently actually heard each other, at least a bit.
If the various factions of the health freedom community which choose to act without civility decided to stop slinging mud at each other and wasting energy on such infantile behavior, we would be able to get a lot further. There are real enemies out there. The Natural Solutions Foundation believes that those in the health freedom movement who spend their time attacking anyone — and everyone – who differs from their current position by the least jot or tittle are wasting the most precious resource that we have in this battle: awareness.
Unless, of course, that is their intent.
You will notice that the Natural Solutions Foundation NEVER attacks any one. We take positions, we take action, we alert and we report but we never savage or impute motivations to anyone. And we accomplish forward movement. That’s the goal.
We are, as I like to say, the ones we have been waiting for. That does not mean that we are the ones we have been waiting for to attack. At least not to us!
Stay tuned.
Today is another day of deliberations for the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (where, by the way, the juices served at breaks has fructose, added glucose and artificial flavors and colors). The munchies last night were deep fried so delegates could get their trans fat fix. The coffee break snacks are nothing but commercial carbs: not a protein molecule or veggie in sight. So much for walking the talk at Codex. I will keep you posted.
Don’t forget to mobilize your circle of influence to send in their comments on the dangerous FDA Guidance, send letters to the editor, etc. Your comments on S 1082/H 1082, the FDA Revitalization Bill of 2007 need to be heard, too.
This is the health freedom battle and it is a battle worth fighting.
Yours in health and freedom,
Dr. Rima
Rima E. Laibow, MD
Medical Director
Natural Solutions Foundation
www.HealthFreedomUSA.org
Oh, yes, don’t forget that health freedom isn’t free. Make your tax deductible donation now! If you already have, “thank you!”
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