M3.2 Vulnerable Populations

Vulnerable Populations

Looking upstream: 

After watching the videos and reading the articles regarding the effects of chemical exposures in our environment to vulnerable populations, I was amazed at how far our  medical community has come in recognizing the need to not only treat symptoms, but to also "look up stream" and identify the root causes to fix the problems. Examples of vulnerable populations include pregnant women, people in poor communities, and farm workers. Root causes include living and working conditions, that adversely effect the health of these vulnerable populations. 

Chemical Exposures in our Environment and Reproductive Health:

Throughout the videos and assigned readings, the effects of chemical exposures in our environment on reproductive health was a crucial talking point. Effects include the interference with hormonal systems, the increase of children being diagnosed with a developmental disability, and the continued prevalence of chronic conditions (cancer, asthma, ADHD, etc.) among children and youth. With this information, it's hard to believe that the United States (U.S.). is so far behind on regulating the use of chemicals, while pharmaceuticals go through a rigorous amount of testing to ensure its safety for public consumption. This means that the U.S. government knows how to regulate and test products for public safety, but has decided to continuously ignore the negative health effects/issues surrounding the use of  chemicals in manufactured products. Immediate change is needed if we're to have any hope for a healthy future. 

Bisphenol-A (BPA) and the Obesity Epidemic:

After reading the article from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) regarding the EWG database, I was shocked to learn that the database contained more than 16,000 food and beverages that may be packaged with the hormone-disrupting chemical BPA. Packaging examples include can linings, bottles, and jars. I was even further interested to learn of the independent scientific studies discussed in the article that links BPA not only to cancer and infertility but also diabetes and obesity. As the obesity epidemic continues rise, not only in the U.S. but across the globe, this new information sheds light on potential causes. 

Presently, when addressing the obesity epidemic, focus is usually placed on increasing physical activity and eating a healthy diet. Perhaps we've been getting this wrong. Maybe part of the problem is exposure to chemicals such as BPA in the environment, and not just over eating and lack of exercise. If this is the case, more studies need to be performed on this link and the results of these studies need to be published and shared on a mass scale.





Next steps:
Although the medical community has come a long way in recognizing the correlation between the effects chemical exposures have on vulnerable populations, this knowledge needs to be transferred into chemical policy reform and better regulations pertaining to the use of chemicals in manufactured products. Without out this reform, we'll only continue to treat the symptoms without addressing the issues that are making people sick in the first place.

References:

• Rishi Manchanda. What makes us get sick? Look upstream. Retrieved from: https://www.ted.com/talks/rishi_manchanda_what_makes_us_get_sick_look_upstream
• Environmental Working Group (EWG). New EWG Database Reveals 16,000 Foods That May Be Packaged with BPA. Retrieved from: https://www.ewg.org/release/new-ewg-database-reveals-16000-foods-may-be-packaged-bpa#.WoOxwkxFy1M
• Reproductive Health and the Environment. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1BBCLlKsjQ