Our agenda puts the interests of America’s farmers, families and communities ahead of the fast-food industry’s. For that industry and its apologists to imply that it is somehow more “populist” or egalitarian to hand our food dollars to Burger King or General Mills than to support a struggling local farmer is absurd. Yes, sun food costs more, but the reasons why it does only undercut the charge of elitism: cheap food is only cheap because of government handouts and regulatory indulgence (both of which we will end), not to mention the exploitation of workers, animals and the environment on which its putative “economies” depend. Cheap food is food dishonestly priced — it is in fact unconscionably expensive.

Gold star.

The Food Issue - An Open Letter to the Next Farmer in Chief - Michael Pollan - NYTimes.com

A growing number of health care providers are trying to learn from aviation accidents and, more specifically, from what the airlines have done to prevent them. In the last five years, several major hospitals have hired professional pilots to train their critical-care staff members on how to apply aviation safety principles to their work.

What Pilots Can Teach Hospitals About Patient Safety - New York Times

A new chewing gum containing good bacteria which prevent harmful bacteria from destroying our teeth has been developed by scientists working for BASF GmbH and OrganoBalance GmbH. There is also a good chance good bacteria could be added to deodorants to eliminate BO (body odour).

New Chewing Gum Can Prevent Tooth Decay

Data on more than 120,000 participants in two U.S. studies that followed people for as long as two decades found no link between heart disease and a daily intake of six or more cups of coffee. In fact, the risk was the same as for people who had less than one cup of coffee or tea a month.

Heavy Coffee Drinking Doesn't Hurt the Heart

Founded as a non-profit global organization in 1981, APUA’s mission is to strengthen society’s defenses against infectious disease by promoting appropriate antimicrobial access and use and controlling antimicrobial resistance on a worldwide basis.

APUA: Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics

But recent findings from Australia confirm that fish owners should nonetheless take care when cleaning an aquarium or otherwise interacting with finned friends or the water they swim in.

Researchers reported in the March issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases on cases of bacterial infections serious enough to send some children to the hospital with high fever and bloody diarrhea. The infections stemmed from a multidrug-resistant strain of Salmonella paratyphi B that was traced via DNA analysis to fish tanks in the patients' homes.

Nemo Beware: Fish Tank Can Be a Haven for Salmonella

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first skin patch treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, giving the go-ahead Thursday for Daytrana from Noven Pharmaceuticals (NOVN:Nasdaq - commentary - research - Cramer's Take) and Shire (SHPGY:Nasdaq ADR - commentary - research - Cramer's Take).

Is it just me or does expecting kids with ADHD to not peel it off within 5 minutes seem a little optimistic?

ADHD Skin Patch Gets Approved

Federal health officials on Thursday dismissed a recent study suggesting a link between long-term use of cellular and cordless telephones and brain tumors but said they will continue to monitor the safety of the wireless devices.

People have been trying to establish a link between various types of EMR and cancer for decades but so far, the connection has been tenuous at best. It probably doesn't help that some of the most outspoken proponents of the theory are "fluoridation of drinking water is a communist conspiracy"-level crazies.

FDA Knocks Cell Phone-Brain Tumor Study

The days when children consume two orders of French fries in the school cafeteria and call it lunch may be numbered. A bipartisan group in Congress plans to introduce legislation today that would prohibit the sale in school not only of French fries but also of other fatty or sugary foods, including soft drinks.

Bill Strikes at Low-Nutrition Foods in School

"Well, I can't walk." The patient casually combed her fingers through her long brown hair as she recounted the story to the young doctors in training who surrounded the bed. "Yesterday, I tried to get out of bed and just couldn't. It hurt so much I had to sit back down. That's when I ended up here." The patient, a slender, soft-spoken woman who appeared younger than her 52 years, had dark circles under her tired eyes. Despite her offhand manner, Dr. Jennifer Quinn, a resident in her last year of training, thought the patient's pale complexion and exhausted appearance suggested a longstanding illness.

On Her Last Legs