This election year, politicians will pontificate about the economy, the energy crisis, global warming, the immigration issue, Iraq and the Middle East, Terrorism, etc. BUT, none of them will talk about the REAL issue which is global overpopulation. Why? Because it hits on issues too sensitive to Americans which might adversely affect the election of one party or another.

For some, the world is not overpopulated. This is most unrealistic. Why do you think that Mexicans are willing to risk everything to reach the U.S.? Because they have no food, money or shelter! There are more than 25 million souls in Mexico City alone and the economy can’t support them!

There is an inverse relationship between income and the number of births in a family - less money, more kids. Maybe this is because families see children as “insurance policies” who will care for their parents who have no social security or health insurance when they grow old.

There, in fact, may be a number of reasons which I do not intend to touch on. Here is what we do know, overpopulation brings war, disease, destruction of the environment, economic ruin and much more.

We also know that abstinence programs are a TOTAL waste, family planning is of some value and economic development is key. The World Bank has developed a micro development program that shows great promise. Is all of this merely an esoteric discussion, unrelated to your day-to-day health?

I do not think so because if we do not control world population we will face (as we are already), infectious disease spreading rapidly and without control - AIDS, Hepatitis, Malaria (it’s in California!), polio etc.

We will face a dramatic increase in global pollution and a possible decrease in available water, oxygen (yes, oxygen) and disasters like the fact that the earth’s fish (such as tuna) may be nearly extinct within five years.

Now do you see why this could affect your health?

From the outset, I prefer products and beverages that are healthy and do NOT require a sweetener. Now, this is hard (I know because I crave sweets.) But, there are, for example, teas that make it easy to consume and enjoy. For example, Green Tea with Jasmine or with Moroccan Mint are simply GREAT. I like them unsweetened, but they are also sold with a LITTLE honey that barely registers on the carb or calorie scale.

As for low or no-calorie sweeteners, remember that Aspartame and Sucrolose have never really been tested for safety in the long run with humans and there are some studies suggesting that weight actually INCREASES with their continual use! Here are options that I believe to be better:

Tagatose: which is natural and about 1/3 the calories of sugar was recently approved by the FDA.

Stevia: can be bought in health food stores but there is a bit of a bitter aftertaste when used a lot. It is natural. There has been some issue as to whether Stevia might be carcinogenic, but, the data is NOT reliable in this regard and it has been used safely in Asia and Latin America for decades.

Erythritol: you should be able to get this at health food stores.

Truvia: should be selling in Phoenix stores soon which is derived from parts of the stevia plant and made by Cargill and Coca Cola Co. I can’t comment on it yet but it looks REALLY promising and will be in Coke products as well. I expect to see comparable and natural sweeteners from Pepsico as well. This does not mean that I endorsing their soda products (I am not), but, the sweetener will be made available in their food products as well.

I have been scared to tell you what I think is best for all of us with regard to a health care plan in the future. Many of you might categorize me with regard to my politics and that would be unfair. I am very much (and proud of it) an independent. From the outset, I want you to know that we will NOT have what I would wish for our country and you will see why that is true momentarily. We desperately need universal, government based health care for American citizens with certain caveats.

First, let’s get real. DO NOT believe the insane notion that if health care is managed by insurance companies, it will and is more efficient. That is just not true. In fact, because health insurance companies need to make a buck, they are more inefficient and cut corners whereever they can. Doctors are paid with much LESS efficiency by private insurers than by Medicare (government run) and private insurers make many more payment mistakes. They add a layer of cost in between you and the providers of health care (health care providers, hospitals, etc.) and it is a SWEET profit at that. (By some estimates from think tanks we are talking 30-40% made up of direct and indirect costs). They are no more sensitive to your needs than the feds. (Look what managed care has done to Americans in the last two decades.) They “mine” your health information and then sell it to other companies (financial, consumer goods retailers and producers) as a way of making you even more at the mercy of big business. (This would be OK except that most Americans do not have a clue of what is going on with their data and have not approved of its use in this regard.) Private insurers have “invented” high deductibles. Co-pays and HAS’s which favor those who are very young and very well. While these plans improve appropriate utilization of health services ostensibly (and a valid concern), they really make it easier on the employer and add a margin of profit for the insurer that was not there before - mostly at the expense of the insured - you!!!!!!!

Were the government to get involved, no doubt we would have to deal with accountability. I mean who really trusts the government? Perhaps we need to make health care administered regionally, rather than nationally. Perhaps the specifics of a universal plan must be tailored state by state so we can keep the administrators more responsive to our needs and watch costs more closely. No question, but that we would have to mange health care much more efficiently, by pressing pharmaceutical companies for much better deals, using generic drugs whenever possible, carefully monitoring disinformation provided to doctors, nurses, etc.

Last, we need to commit to DRAMATICALLY increasing the salaries of primary care providers since the data has shown INCONTROVERTIBLY that primary docs (and there is a shortage of them because they are paid the worst in the medical food chain) decrease the cost of health care (They use far useless technology and know patients better) and decrease overall disease and death rates!!!! (Less technology means better health!) The feds are now proposing a 1-2 % annual increase in primary care wagers. What a joke! We need to see the primary care provider being guaranteed $ in the $200,000-$300,000 range so that we get more of them and that they stay doing their job across America - regardless of the wealth of the community. We need to cut specialty incomes (Many are making $500,000 to $1,000,000 and even more right here in Phoenix.) So they will do fewer useless procedures just to make a buck.

You are going to say that I am anti-competition and anti-capitalist with these comments. Do you actually think that our medical system represents free trade? Well, don’t worry, lobbyists and hacks in the Congress who are in the pockets of insurance companies will never let us have a truly equitable run health care system and will never let us have a universal, government run program because they have to bottom feed!

Call me on the show and we can talk about it. (602) 277-KTAR.