Worthy Petition
I generally think online petitions are pretty useless, but this is one I think is worthy and can maybe even make a difference. All they're asking for is for the government to look at the dietary science (instead of promoting -- as the government has -- dietary guidelines that are the antithesis of the science).
I respect both Judy Barnes Baker and Richard Feinman, who are behind this. (Judy sent it to me.)
I have to say that I don't have great faith that government officials will be able to discern between solid and crap science and the same goes for much of the citizenry, but I think at least trying on this is important.
As long as the government is putting out dietary guidelines, which much of the population will believe, they should be science-based dietary guidelines.
I'll show you Judy's letter -- just below. And below that is the blurb about the petition.
I know you are an advocate for healthful eating and I wanted to tell you about a project Dr. Richard Feinman (from SUNY) and I have been working on.
We filed a White House Petition to change the way the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are created. The first set of guidelines was based on weak population studies from the 1950s and the same basic message has just been recycled every 5 years. They are currently written behind closed doors by the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services. There is no oversight, no transparency, and no accountability for the outcomes. The two agencies appoint an advisory committee, but they are free to ignore its advice. They have the final say and the committee's report is never disclosed to the public.
We are seeking common ground with our petition and not promoting any particular diet. All we are asking is that the government hold open hearings so people can hear the testimony of impartial experts and judge for themselves what the science shows. We hope you will help us reach your many fans and encourage them to support this petition.
We would be grateful for anything you have time to do to help spread the message; even a Tweet including the link would be much appreciated. We only have until March 20 to reach the target of 100,000 signatures.
The petition is here. More information about the petition is here.
Thank you for your help!
Best,
Judy Barnes Baker
A few more details on the petition here:
The right to petition the government is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution. We now have a special online tool for doing this, called We the People, where any citizen can file a White House Petition to ask the Administration to take action on an important issue. If a petition reaches 100,000 signatures within 30 days, the White House staff will review it, ensure it is sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response. We are seeking common ground with our plea and these numbers are certainly within our reach.
Our petition asks that the government select an impartial, fact-finding panel of experts who have no stake in nutrition policy to hold public hearings to evaluate all sides of the issue. This would at least serve to open up the process, invite media attention, and expose the lack of consensus behind the current guidelines. A large response to this petition would show that there is a groundswell of public opposition to the current guidelines and the way they are created.
Here's how it works:
Go to: http://wh.gov/lUu8B. Register for an account with your e-mail address, answer the security question to prove you are human, and sign the petition. It's that easy. Only your initials and city will show up on the site, not your name.
We need every one of you to help us reach the goal. Please support the petition, share it, Tweet it, Pin it, and pass it on to your contacts. We have until March 20 to reach our target.
Thank you.
Judy Barnes Baker
Dr. Richard David Feinman
Of course, Judy didn't ask for this, but I just remembered that she and Feinman have a cookbook out: Nourished: A Cookbook for Health, Weight Loss, and Metabolic Balance. I don't cook; I heat. But for those of you who are trying to eat healthy and make low-carb meals, I bet this'll be helpful.
Not going to happen. Like climate "change". The "science" is settled,
And it is going to be whatever the bureaucrats decide that it is.
Isab at March 4, 2014 8:02 AM
Even media reports from such hearings would be helpful.
Amy Alkon at March 4, 2014 8:23 AM
I wouldn't hold out much hope for this idea. We're asking political bodies to act apolitically, and they're not very good at that. Media reports from the hearings might be helpful, if the people running the meetings did so without hidden agendas, if the experts were solicited and presented evenhandedly, and if the media properly understood the proceedings.
In the end, I'm not sure we need the hearings to begin with. We'd probably be better off if we didn't look to the government to provide dietary guidelines at all. With all the competing dietary ideas being floated back and forth today, I'm not sure what value the Fed adds in the first place.
Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at March 4, 2014 8:48 AM
We are counting on the power of a free press. Once people are exposed to the truth, they will be harder to fool. This is exactly what happened recently in Sweden after a doctor was sued for malpractice for not following the conventional protocol for dietary advice. The trial became front page news and arguments on both sides were reported in the media. As a result, the Swedish Council on Health Technology Assessment conducted a two-year study that reviewed 16,000 research studies published through 2013.
Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt (DietDoctor.com) covered some of the highlights of this study on his blog at http://tinyurl.com/pdpgtyb. He says he expects future dietary guidelines for the treatment of obesity in Sweden to be based on this report. It's worth a try ~ please sign: http://wh.gov/lUu8B
Judy Barnes Baker at March 4, 2014 10:01 AM
National Potato Council website:
Or in other words: "We didn't get enough money into the right hands to get us added in."
Always follow the money.
Jim P. at March 4, 2014 10:01 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2014/03/04/worthy_petition.html#comment-4324638">comment from Judy Barnes BakerWe are counting on the power of a free press. Once people are exposed to the truth, they will be harder to fool.
Exactly, Judy. Thank you so much for doing this. I tweeted to Mike Eades, who has a large following, in hopes that he'd retweet.
PS There was a snafu with my registration on the site yesterday night -- as soon as they send me my password, I'll sign the petition (after my deadline day today).
Amy Alkon at March 4, 2014 10:48 AM
The petition is important simply to register that there are a lot of or not following the party line And are interested in change. By itself it won't do much but we are actively following it up and, for example, if I meet with one of my elected officials and I can say that we have a petition with a lot of names that carries more weight.
Richard Feinman at March 4, 2014 11:38 AM
I don't think we have enough $$$ to get the guidelines changed. Our focus should be on educating enough people to make the guideline irrelevant.
Don in Arkansas at March 6, 2014 11:27 AM
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