THE HEALTH CARE TRIPLE PLAY

THE HEALTH CARE TRIPLE PLAY

You the patient, are about to hit into a triple play.  The new Obama healthcare is now in effect. Four separate players who reluctantly joined the Obama health care team: insurance companies, hospitals, drug companies, and the doctors---, are now feeling betrayed after  reluctantly endorsing the president’s plan.

 You were told you could hold onto your  current health  care plan unless your employer made significant changes in its coverage.   To everyone’s surprise, common adjustments as increased deductibility  or co-pays or a reduction in benefits are now considered quite significant.  Over half of the healthcare employer-sponsored plans no longer will qualify as grandfathered. You can’t  keep your plan even if you like it--- Unless, you’re a union member, where grandfathering regulations is much softer.

 Insurance company plans

 Insurers are now cutting down on non-medical services, and cutting programs so they can keep their heads above water.  at a the health insurance plans are now told they must meet medical loss ratios.   They must divide their premium dollars into two buckets:  15% will go for administrative costs and the other 85% for medical services or activities that improve the quality of healthcare.  The kicker is that hospital regulators will decide which specific activities fall into each bucket.

 The 85% bucket includes everything from doctors visits, hospital stays, surgery, prescription drugs, medical equipment,  and all soul programs to help patients cope with chronic diseases and even remind patients to take prescription medicines.

 The other 15% of premiums, administrative,  include profit compensation, agent commissions, overhead marketing, and salaries.   To meet the government’s requirements, insurance companies are cutting back on activities that are labeled administrative.

 Plans will have to choose between priorities that benefit them by preventing health-care fraud and reducing unnecessary services by creating technical innovations,and  upgrading equipment.   Patients will discuss and monitor their health with a team of nurses and this too will be lumped into an administrative functions, along with fraud prevention programs that endanger patient care. 

Programs that set standards to help cut down MRI and CAT scan used are now categorized as increasing your cancer risk so would be good to improve their health. These tests soon will not be taken.  Picking on the doctors who are ordering repeated imaging services in the name of “improved quality of health care” will reduce the administrative cost of doing business.

All of these activities are lumped in the 15% administrative cost.  This means that the government will  be able to control the payments and reduce  insurance company profits.  All of these critical services will be deemed to be administrative expenses paid to improve quality and lower costs. By placing all these services in this bucket, health care plans cannot invest in  other essential programs,  the costs will keep going up, and the health programs and care will go down dramatically.

 Another scheme by the government is the medical loss ratio. This is a difference you pay an insurance company and what the insurance company pays doctors for their care.  20 years ago insurance companies kept a nickel on every dollar for their services. Today the insurance company is trying to keep nearly 1/4 of your insurance bill and call it paperwork, which is truly only  profiteering.

Drug companies

 Drug companies made a deal with the White House and made out quite well under the plan by bargaining. This has resulted in the same price regulation that is taking place in Europe now.  The deal determines competitive pricing that will support real innovation.   This change makes drug costs rise inside Medicare and this will discourage investment. New tools allow Medicare to set rules on prices but also clinical criteria for accessing new medicines.

 Today companies are making a number of variations to their core drugs and this has led to fewer new drugs on the market.  They pstented novel compounds that limits the maneuvering room for new players. Now that human gene patents have been invalidated, this is their way of getting around the problem. Generic drugs limit compensation of drug companies by preventing new scientific insights and technologies. The FDA also is become stricter and the insurance companies distort priorities in the way you pay for drugs.

 Doctors

  Doctors find it increasingly difficult to practice on their own. They are face with a lot of fear and paranoia.  This has resulted in doctors and hospitals rethinking what they do. Private fee-for-service doctors are, in droves, joining  paid positions on a hospital team.

Doctors don’t want to be told to see their  patient for only 15 minutes,  They no longer  want to hear all your aches and pains when you come for an ear ache.  A  treatment will be prescribed and, any other symptoms  you may have, will have to wait for another visit.  Since your doctor will be forced to limit your visit to  only 10 minutes, he will be forced  to make each visit count-- for insurance reimbursement.  

Primary care doctors are suffering because they have lower fees and work longer hours.  Both hospitals and insurance companies are teaming up to squeeze these doctors even more. Your family doctor will be extinct in 2 to 3 years. Most independent doctors are selling or closing their practices and going to work for big hospitals.  Others are simply retiring early.  Big hospitals no longer have competition from independent doctors.

 By practicing independently with multiple insurers, uncertain Medicare money, and many new requirements to start using electronic health records, it is difficult for the doctor to  continue to practice independently.  Medical schools never taught doctors medical economics nor how to run their practices as businesses, but stressed  patient services as the core to success.

 The government soon will flood  the healthcare industry with many new doctors, that will be controlled.  By paying the full cost of medical education for these doctors, the doctors will feel they are being treated as human beings and the doctor will commit himself to work for the health service to whatever tune the government chooses. This free education idea will quickly sneak socialized medicine into America.

 Hospitals

 Big hospitals will soon no longer have competition from individual doctors and the pain will come later when the big hospitals act as businesses not services. Those of you in poor neighborhoods and retirement communities. may soon not have doctors to service you.  When the hospital controls the lion money share, it’s going to be the first in line to get paid.

 Conclusions

 The healthcare industry is a 2 1/2 trillion dollar industry.  Costs will be driven up for everyone, and we will  create the HMOs that we had 20 years ago where we had  restricted patient choices and access to care.

 Medicare wants alliances if they can reduce the cost of caring for patients and still improve quality. This means fewer hospitalizations and lower costs.  Your diseases will be managed by managing the expenses your diseases incur. Hospitals are getting primary care doctors on the payroll to benefit from  insurers  and Medicare.

Everyone knows we have to change the way people practice medicine. When hospital beds are full, hospitals will earn more money .  There is a big difference in providing health insurance for everyone and providing healthcare for everyone. We need to concentrate on providing service rather than  concentrating on payments.

 The government now can make and enforce private health plans to make business decisions and can set  regulations on economic costs rather than what is best for you.  Having free markets insurers does not result in free-market medical care.

There is no free lunch. Instead of dining at fancy restaurants, you will start eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at home. If you need a new pancreas or kidney, your insurance company program will develop a medical loss ratio for you to determine whether you’re worth getting it.

Visit www.americanacupuncture.com for more discussions of controversial medical subjects by Dr Needles

As a medical physician for over 52 years, I strive to give you the best medical information on controversial medical subjects, and help your read betwwen the lines. You must come to your own conclusions. I have no ties to any organization, pharmaceutical, or lobby group. As an practicing medical acupuncturist since 1982, I find western medicine and medical acupuncture are very complimentary. This results in astounding healing in pain management, addictions to cigarettes and food, and a host of other maladies. Visit drneedles is blogging" at the end of each blog for a complete alphabetical list of all my blogs Visit http://www.americanacupuncture.com/ for more detailed information on mind, body, and spirit healing.

WEIGHT LOSS FOR THE NEW YOU

WEIGHT LOSS FOR THE NEW YOU

Over 50% of Americans are overweight.  Are you one of them? To begin the Battle of the Bulge, you must locate your enemy before your battle can begin.

You may crave food at all times of the day, except at meal times. You may be just eating because it’s something to do,  and eating helps you  forget about your worries and anxieties.  At dinner and lunch you eat sensibly in front of others, but when alone, wow do you pig out.

Most of us spend very little  time eating our meals, are always hurried. The body does not have enough time to adjust the feeling of fullness, and can’t signal you when to stop. You eat in front of the TV, in bed, at the refrigerator, at your desk, while shopping,--it seems you eat almost everywhere. Every room in the house has a clue of food crumbs and keeps signaling you to eat.  While watching the news, you always treat yourself to a rewarding a drink.

 While eating snacks, you seem bored, lonely, depressed, and tired.  Food gives you temporary gratification in an attempt to  rid you of your  negative feelings. Chocolates and sugar pick up  your feelings and spirits,  but this elevated mood elevation lasts a short time.  When you’re angry, you take it out on yourself by eating. At lunch you take your food to your desk to show the boss how hard you work, and you console yourself with cookies and snacks. 

 Coming home, you find your spouse left his underwear on the floor, did not clean the shower, left food and dirty dishes on the table, and this sparks your appetite.  Rather than speaking up, you eat.

Start your diet plan today.  To lose weight, you must It’s take in fewer calories.  Every 3500 calories you cut out will result in a pound lost.  Everyone tells you to avoid carbs, but you do require a good amount of complex carbohydrates like beans, brown rice, whole grain breads, corn and yes, potatoes and pasta. i a  were better than punishment  in weight loss. Reward yourself with  positive reinforcement: a massage, manicure,or a new hairstyle. If you goofed off your diet today, remember tomorrow will also be a new beginning.

 Everything you buy today is in super deluxe huge packages.  Repackage your food into smaller portions, freeze your leftovers, and use them for another meal. Remember there is nothing wrong with even throwing food away: bring in less food into the house.

 If you plan ahead what you’re going to eat today, you will save yourself a lot of  calories, and save money as well.

Go food shopping when you’re not hungry  When you feel full, just after your meal. start your shopping by visiting the fresh food and vegetable department. Buy tuna in water, and read the labels of everything that you’re throwing into your basket.  When you give in to an impulse  to buy some high caloric food snack, buy the very smallest package, even though it costs more per ounce. When buying a salad dressing pick olive oil and plan on mixing  it with yogurt, milk, and garlic.  Looking for cereal? Stick to oatmeal or plain shredded wheat.  Avoid cereals  with added sugar, salt, or chemicals you can’t even pronounce. When reading labels, remember, ingredients are listed in the order of quantity.

 Buy plain yogurt and add your own fruit or low calorie jams or jellies to it.  Snack with skim milk mozzarella cheese. Stay away from the meat counter. Look for the fresh fish since they contain fewer calories than even chicken or veal. They’re also loaded with vitamins and minerals. Be aware that some diet foods actually are higher in calories than the regular type. When you go by the pop department stay away from diet sodas since they are high in  salt, and  contain a lot of phosphorus that pull calcium from your bones, resulting in osteoporosis.

As you’re changing her life, the people you love  best will feel you are rejecting them when you  reject the food they offer you.   Try to find a dieting partner, and if you can’t find one, pick a friend who is thin.  It’s hard for someone 50 pounds overweight, and not ready to go on a diet with you,  to be very sympathetic to your game plan. It makes them  feel out of control, and they resent you for even asking them to join you. . As you lose weight, they remark  how tired you look, at how you’re always counting calories, and they can’t enjoy a meal out with you anymore. They tell you they liked you better when you were heavier. You can’t be all things to everybody and not everyone will keep loving the thin you. They will try to block your dieting by asking you if want something to eat.  If you give in, you will resent yourself and your friend  who torpedoed you.

Have you watched thin people eat?  Drink a glass of water before you eat or have an apple 10 minutes before you sit down for dinner.  Wait a minute before you start eating at the table. Cut all the food into smaller pieces even a banana. Chew each mouthful 10 to 20 times. Keep putting a knife and fork down between bites and really taste the food. Do a lot of talking but now with a full mouth. It will slow down the time your food stays in the stomach and send you a message that.you are full.  Pick  foods that take longer to eat, like a big plain potato: choose a  fruit rather than custard.  Have a huge green salad instead of easy to scoop up macaroni.   Always eat the best  nutritious food first. Try eating with your opposite hand, telling everyone you have carpal tunnel in the other hand.  If you’re going out for dinner tonight, don’t let yourself get too hungry before the dinner. If you haven’t eaten in the last four hours, have a  piece of fruit, plain yogurt, or a slice of lunch meat before you go.

 Don’t  make your kitchen your castle. Stay out of it as much as possible. Unconsciously you may spend a lot of time by yourself cooking:  since no one is watching  you start snacking.  If your diet includes a high percentage of complex carbohydrates you will lose more weight,and  feel better.  Try taking in 100 g of carbohydrates scattered throughout the day. This will keep your blood sugar from dropping and give you a lot more energy.

 Avoid foods with  high fat content: as butter, cooking oils, mayonnaise, fat meats, bacon, sausage, and yes potato chips. Remember all that lunchmeat, salami ,bologna, and hotdogs are high in fat have a lot of toxic chemicals.  Your body likes to use carbohydrates for energy, but if you are on a high-protein diet your body works extra hard to get the energy from the protein.  Proteins requires a lot of fluids to flush out the liver,  They also pull calcium from your body, and speed up your body’s  metabolic rate.

 Most of us get 75% of our protein from animal sources and we should cut this down to 35%.  Make up the difference by eating more  fish, chicken, eggs, beans, and even peanut butter with whole-grain bread.  The darker the protein looks, the  more nourishment it has. Pick whole-grain breads, oatmeal, and  brown rice to increase the fiber in your body. Vegetables also have a high fiber content, like: cabbage, carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bees, beans, and tomatoes.  In the fruit department, pick apples, grapes, and oranges, since they can reduce the fat and cholesterol in your blood.

 When cooking, use very little salt, since it causes water retention  and can raise your blood pressure.  Broil or poach your fish with lemon juice and pepper.  Season your vegetables with apple cider or juice, and add vinegar to your tomatoes and cucumbers. Avoid cooking wine, since they have a great deal of salt.  Better to take your table wine and put some of it in your cooking. The alcohol burns off during the cooking anyway.  Add cloves and garlic for flavor.   Use fresh ginger,onions, scallions, and you won’t need salt at all. Poach your chicken or seafood, with  broth or clam juice.

 Imitation dairy products all contain saturated coconut oil, which is usually listed as pure vegetable oil and should be avoided.   For a tasty salad dressing, mix buttermilk with  mayonnaise and add some spices and herbs.  Avoid any labels that say” hydrogenated “, which means your unsaturated fat is saturated with extra hydrogen atoms.

 How about the drinks? Hard liquor as Scotch vodka and gin add 75 calories.  A four ounce glass of wine has slightly more.   If you like wine,  stay with white wine and add club soda with the splash of wine and perhaps a twist of lemon.  Liqueurs, gin, and rum should not be on your diet says they are high in sugar and calories, and raise your alcohol blood level quickly. Avoid the mixers like Coke, ginger ale, and tonic water, since they boost your calorie count high.

Going to cocktail party?  Eat before you go, and  have some yogurt, an apple, or even an open faced peanut butter and banana sandwich.  Be fashionable and arrive late. Avoid that handful of peanuts since it adds up to 800 calories nearly half your daily intake.  Remember: “a moment on the lips, an inch on the hips”.

If it’s a buffet, walk around the whole aisle before you choose to start eating.  Avoid the hot dishes,  since they have a lot of fattening sauces.  Stick to the salad, fruit, and cold meats. If you’re going to have cheese, pick the hard cheeses since they have less butterfat and you don’t have to have crackers to eat  them. Hard cheese has about 50 calories per ounce while spreadable cheese has 80 calories per ounce. Forget the chips, since they have 15 calories per chip and are high in fat and salt, and are quite addictive. Dig into the colorful plate of sliced vegetables and chew them slowly.  if you can’t hide the leftovers on your plate cut them into tiny pieces, and put them on the edge of the plate so they look as if you’ve been eating.

 Going to the restaurant?  Plan ahead and ask for a combination of vegetables that perhaps are not on the menu,  and decide in advance what you want to eat without even looking at the menu.  Every restaurant has broiled or blackened  fish and some sort of tossed salad.  Quit reading over all those rich dishes on the menu, that you aren’t going to order anyway. Take the bread and move it over to your skinny companion. Pick a dish that require slow eating, as a cold lobster or mussels.  Be the last person to start eating and eat slowly. Muscles are good choices they take forever to eat and you only get 200 calories and the entire appetizer. 

Avoid everything fried shrimp, rice, and egg rolls. Look at the appetizers you might want to have a double shrimp cocktail or broiled shrimp as your main course, Pass up the fries and onion rings. If you’re eating Mexican, choose at the tostada with vegetables or plain corn tortillas  and chili sauce for nibbling. Avoid corn chips that are on the table and stay clear of tacos and enchiladas. When eating Japanese, sushi or steamed fish with a lot of vegetables are fine. Leave the tempura for others. If by chance a dish comes smothered with a sauce, scrape it off and season it with some pepper and salmon.  Keep your entrée as dry as possible without gravy and sauce.

Ready for a big Mac french fries and a vanilla shake? They’ll cost you 1200 calories, Your entire days allowance. If you ordered a sandwich, make it open faced and eliminate that slice of bread of 60 calories from your daily intake.  Cut the sandwich with a knife or fork to take you longer to eat.  For dessert, pull out an apple that you brought in your bag.  Still want more? Wait 10 minutes and have a glass of water, and ask yourself if you really have to have it.

 Start being self absorbed on how you look and pamper yourself. Start seeing the new you, in new  bright colors, and look at all the fashion magazines to give you ideas to help you change your image. Life is a bumpy road for everybody whether you are  slim or your fat, be realistic and take one day at a time.

 Start going for walks.  Exercise decreases your appetite reduces anxiety, stress, lowers your cholesterol, improves your complexion, helps you sleep better, reduces your risk of osteoporosis, and give you a great sense of well-being.

 If you are responsible for planning, buying, and preparing meals for the family, you invest a lot of time, thought, and energy on food. Keep telling yourself why you want to lose weight and think about more about yourself than about anyone else. Thoughts will come  to tempt you to go off your diet.  Poke holes in such  negative reasoning.

 Soon you will be thin.  Everyone will notice it before you do.  It will appear that it happened overnight.  And you yourself will not recognize self.  You swill soon see the new you, that you’ve always wanted to be. Getting used to the new you is not easy. Most people lose weight and gain it back.  An acupuncture visit can stabilize your clock and prevent rebound weight gain.  

 Realize there will be changes in your life. People will look at you differently and you must make the mental adjustment that you will  stay slim.  Some of your friends will resent you since they loved being with the fat  you. Friends who stayed fat will no longer know how to deal with you.  Some will  resent your being able to control your life when they can’t. But some people will not know how to deal with you now. Even your mate won’t say much about the eating, but may try to undermine you if he is fat. Now you’re man will think he has to worry about you at a party, as other men are becoming interested in you.  He might  look at who you’re talking to, and  even though your conversation may be innocent, when you say you had a wonderful time, he might interprets it differently. . Give your soul mate that extra loving pat, letting him know that he is loved,needed, and wanted.

Losing weight will not change your life and turn you into the life of the party. As you grow thinner, you will change, learn new skills, and improve others. Be aware it will not be a coaster ride full of happiness. Be prepared for a letdown, when your goal is reached and you’ve lost the weight.  Don’t talk yourself back into eating because it isn’t worth it.   Don’t give in, the new you is great.

Visit www.drneedles.com for more information on controversial medical subjects

As a medical physician for over 51 years, I strive to give you the best medical information on controversial medical subjects, and help your read betwwen the lines. You must come to your own conclusions. I have no ties to any organization, pharmaceutical, or lobby group. As an practicing medical acupuncturist since 1982, I find western medicine and medical acupuncture are very complimentary. This results in astounding healing in pain management, addictions to cigarettes and food, and a host of other maladies. Visit http://www.americanacupuncture.com/ for more detailed information on mind, body, and spirit healing.

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON SOON AVAILABLE

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON SOON AVAILABLE

Genetically engineered salmon will  be the first genetically modified animal to enter the American food supply..Genetically engineered animals are regulated by the FDA under rules  covering animal drugs.   The salmon can be grown in 16 to 18 months instead of the 30 months required for a regular farmed Atlantic salmon.

A company called  AquaBounty Technologies of Waltham, Mass., has for years tried to get approval for this salmon engineering. The salmon are referred to as ABT  salmon.  The FDA will make its final decision at the end of the month.  It will take 2 to 3 years for the fish to reach American supermarkets.

 The salmon is called a tripoloid,monosex (all female) Atlantic salmon is referred to as AquaAdvantage Salmon.   The company included data and information on  diploid male and female GE  salmon as well as triploid  female GE salmon of the same lineage. 

Groups of consumer, environmental, animal welfare, and fisheries are in greatly opposed to this venture. They are concerned that the salmon could escape  and compete with wild salmon for food and mates.

 Aqua bounty argues that the salmon will be grown only inland. Only sterile females will be sold limiting their ability to reproduce. Critics are unconvinced since most of the conclusions were submitted by the company.  

FDA FINDINGS

 Since no foods is completely safe, the FDA lookED for any difference between food from the  ABT salmon and other Atlantic salmon.  The FDA concluded that the salmon meets the standard of identity for Atlantic salmon, and is the same as food from other Atlantic salmon. 

No biologically relevant differences were detected nor any endogenous  metabolite.  There also were no biologically relevant differences in the composition or edible tissue components of amino acids, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids. The salmon contained the expected amount of nutritionally important omega three and six at an  appropriate ratio for a fish source.

FDA CONCERNS

 Only 144 salmon samples were taken and only 73 of these were analyzed for the information given to the FDA.  The number of samples per group was also limited. Since the process is not perfect 5% of the fish might not be sterile.

 Fish were included irrespective of sex or maturity and were not distributed uniformly within or between the different groups.

 Because of limitations in the quantity of original salmon specific IgE  pool, the company used commercially available sera to complete the inhibition assays. Two sets of extracts were used. The initial set was used to establish assay conditions, but all six of the assays were performed using the second set of extracts, and the second zero pool.

 The fish contain an rDNA  expression of the Chinook salmon growth hormone under the control of an ocean pout  promoter. The allergenic potency of the fish could not be compared nor was the FDA  able to determine how the company calculated its values for individual and pulled extracts from allergenic potency.

The FDA also  noted an increase in the relative allergenic potency in the diploid salmon compared to the control salmon. Since salmon is eaten as one individual fillet per serving, rather than a mixture of many fish, there may be an increase in the allergenic potency of these genetically engineered salmon.

 Because of the technical flaws in the study, its interpretation is limited and the FDA cannot rely on its results. There appears to be a lack of appropriate controls, experimental conditions that preclude detection, and no reliable conclusions can be drawn from this study.

 Because of the low quality of the studies evaluating the allergenicity of the salmon tissue, there are uncertainties in the production and use of the eyed eggs  produced in Prince Edward Island Canada, the shipping of these eggs to Panama at its  grow out facility in the highlands of Panama, the processing of the fish in Panama, and the shipping of table ready process i to us in the United States.   Since the location of egg productions and grow out start outside the United States. in Canada and Panama, the global commons potential effects are outside the jurisdiction of the FDA.

GROWTH HORMONE

 Normally salmon produce growth hormone only in warm weather. This salmon contains a growth hormone gene from that Chinook salmon. the growth hormone is kept active all year round by  a genetic on switch from a different fish, the ocean pout.  Since the hormone is produced all year round, it can grow faster than farm grown salmon.

The growth hormone gene was isolated from the Chinook salmon which are fin fish that are listed in the eight major allergenic foods in the United States.  Salmon growth hormones contained multiple  proteins.  

Hormones associated with estradiol, testosterone, 17keto testosterone,, T3 and T4  are identified as hazards for the consumption of ABT  salmon.  Plasma T3 (thyroid) levels were statistically different, but not when the company pooled the total together. Eicosadienoic, linolenic, and oleic fatty acids also were statistically different.  Vitamin B6 was also elevated.  Since the salmon are given high energy fat diets their high crude fat content exhibited elevated total lipid levels.

INSULIN LIKE GROWTH FACTOR

The engineered salmon has higher levels of insulin like growth factor I, a hormone related to growth hormone). . High levels of this hormone are associated with greater cancer risk.

LOCATION

 The Panama growth facility is by a river which has three levels of containment between their tanks and the river. There are four downstream settling ponds  that act as only one level of containment. Despite the adequate water temperature, the river habitat in the vicinity of the facility are not favorable for  Atlantic salmon or other fish species. 

There are also concerns that the physical facilities would have difficulty preventing accidental release of the genetically engineered fish and shell fish  during floods, storms, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. The production site is potentially subject to hurricanes and strong winter winds and could fall within the hundred year flood level.

Since the facility is located 25 feet above sea level at its highest point and 120 feet from the tidal river. It is potentially subject to flooding from the nearby river. The area receives 200 inches per year of annual rain, most of it coming in the wet summer months. A recent flooding of the river caused extensive damage downstream, which  prevented access of authorized people.  Such a repeat would  potentially allowing predators to carry the salmon off-site.

Not addressed in this  company renderings to the FDA. are needs for alarms, standby power, and an operational plan including training, traffic control, record keeping, and an emergency response plan.

The plan does not also discuss unintentional potential release of fertilized eggs during transport from Canada  To Panama. The eggs  will be  transported by air freight and then ground shipment to the growth facility. 

The Panama facility  has an elevation of 5000 feet with water supplied by a nearby spring. The water temperature is approximate 15°C similar to the river running next to the facility. The river will also  receive water discharges from the facility. A significant amount of this water volume will be diverted for use in a local hydroelectric power plant.

The report does not show whether the salmon are indeed sterile. There are reports in the literature of coho salmon and other  fish species that are triploid  and sometimes fertile.  Research on Atlantic char  shows some triploid  females can develop ovaries and mature gametes.

 Another potential alarming issue If their confinement would be compromised, is  that a small percentage of triploids  can have gonadal tissue become mosaic,  bearing both diploid and triploid cells.  if A mono sex, all female salmon, is an effective form of reproductive containment to complement that of triploidy,  the company has, according to the FDA, has The report does not show the effectiveness of their methods used to ensure that an all-female population salmon will be produced. They state all the salmon will all be female, and 95% will be triploid. 

 The production fillets  will be processed near the grow out facility  In Panama,  placed on ice, and transported to the processing plant.  How the fish wastes  of heads, bones, and entrails  will be processed, is not described in the report but will be in accordance with applicable laws says the FDA.  Note: The FDA has no regulatory jurisdiction over disposal of wastes and other countries.

CONCLUSION

It looks like a done deal folks. With all these questions raised, it is hard to believe the FDA could come to a favorable conclusion on this venture.

What do you think?

Visit www.americanamericanacupunture.com for more commentaries on controversial medical issues of our time.

As a medical physician for over 51 years, I strive to give you the best medical information on controversial medical subjects, and help your read betwwen the lines. You must come to your own conclusions. I have no ties to any organization, pharmaceutical, or lobby group. As an practicing medical acupuncturist since 1982, I find western medicine and medical acupuncture are very complimentary. This results in astounding healing in pain management, addictions to cigarettes and food, and a host of other maladies. Visit drneedles is blogging" at the end of each blog for a complete alphabetical list of all my blogs Visit http://www.americanacupuncture.com/ for more detailed information on mind, body, and spirit healing.