Childhood Flu Vaccine Inhibits Development of T-Cells
A newly published study in the Journal of Virology adds additional weight to the case against routine influenza vaccinations. Researchers have found that vaccinating children annually against the flu virus interferes with the development of virus-specific killer T cells. This means that the annual flu vaccine may protect children against the actual viruses in the vaccine, but at the same time makes them more vulnerable to any other virus that they are exposed to.

Support Your Immune System Naturally
As an integrative medical doctor, I believe that you can support your immune system naturally with a combination of healthy nutritional choices and targeted supplements for immune support. It is generally not necessary to introduce viruses, chemicals and heavy metals into our bodies in the form of a vaccination.

Common sense and scientific research tell us that one of the most important strategies for staying well is to wash your hands frequently. Washing with soap and running water for 20 seconds is the most effective way to cleanse your hands of all kinds of germs.

It is also important to get enough sleep (greater than 7 hours per night), get moderate exercise and not overwork (less then 10 hours per day).

Nutritional approaches to a healthy immune system include eating plenty of green vegetables, reducing or eliminating consumption of refined sugars and processed foods, and supplementing with immune boosting vitamins, minerals, herbs and botanicals.

Immune Support Supplements
You can support your body’s innate health mechanisms with certain scientifically-researched formulas and compounds that combine cutting edge science with traditional wisdom. These will offer comprehensive health support whenever you need it most: during the winter season, when under stress, while travelling and for daily protection. Here are some of my top recommendations for supporting immune health during the winter and year round.

One of my top recommendations is a blend of six medicinal mushrooms with additional immune boosting beta glucans. The mushrooms in this formula have been used for thousands of years to promote optimal functioning of the immune system and support overall health. However, this formula is unique because the mushrooms are cultivated in the US on a blend of powerful immune supporting herbs which enhance the mushrooms’ natural immune boosting properties. When combined in a comprehensive formula with additional beta-glucans, medicinal mushrooms are an excellent way to boost your body’s natural defenses and combat infection, especially on a long term basis. Mushrooms are also of great benefit during times of acute stress or infection, as they can be taken in frequent doses with no known side effects.

Another recommendation is a Tibetan herbal formula made with a blend of 19 rare and powerful botanicals that contain a multitude of health-promoting tannins, polyphenols, flavonoids and essential oils. This traditional formula has “cooling” properties that support balanced immune function, increased circulation and healthy antioxidant activity.

Last, but most importantly is Modified Citrus Pectin, the first natural Galectin-3 blocker. Scientists are now finding that blocking harmful excess Galectin-3 molecules in the body is critical in promoting cellular health and long term wellness. In addition to binding and blocking Galectin-3 throughout the body, research demonstrates that regular use of Modified Citrus Pectin offers powerful immune support and also safely detoxifies harmful heavy metals and environmental toxins without side effects.

Integrative medicine treats the whole person, rather than the symptom or illness. As a result, these and other natural health solutions offer powerful immune support while simultaneously promoting overall health and protecting against chronic illness over the long term.  And that’s an area where many conventional solutions fall short.

Dangerous drug interactions and common drug-induced illnesses are a hidden epidemic in the United States. Unqualified use and abuse of prescription drugs is becoming commonplace as many doctors prescribe multiple meds because either they don’t have the time to fully diagnose, or worse, they are pressured to prescribe (sell) highly profitable drugs. In the United States alone adverse drug interactions cause death, injury or hospitalization to more than 2 million people each year and that number could be the tip of the iceberg, as millions of cases go undetected or unreported.

Are Your Meds Making You Sick? A Pharmacist’s Guide to Avoiding Dangerous Drug Interactions, Reactions and Side Effects is a highly accessible and clearly formatted quick reference for the layperson. Written by Robert S. Gold, RPh, MBA, a clinical hospital pharmacist and affiliate instructor of clinical pharmacy at Purdue University with over 27 years of experience, Are Your Meds Making You Sick, shows readers how to protect themselves by learning to think like a clinical hospital pharmacist. Gold lists “16 Rules of Safe Medication Use” that can help prevent the most common adverse and dangerous drug interactions. He then gives specific examples and scenarios featuring the thirty-six drugs that are the most prevalent offenders and explains how even seemingly good drugs can harm a patient’s kidney, liver, brain and heart if the patient’s medical history and physical vulnerabilities are not taken into account.

As the U.S. population ages and there is a steady increase in the number of prescribed and OTC medications and alternative remedies, the topic of drug interactions becomes more important and newsworthy. Not only is Gold a pharmacist, but the author has personal experience dealing with dangerous prescription drug interactions. When Gold’s own father began suffering side effects from medication, his expertise in the field made for a lifesaving diagnosis. As a pharmacist for over 27 years, however, Gold realized that most people don’t have the experience and knowledge to identify adverse drug reactions or common drug-induced illnesses.

Are Your Meds Making You Sick? A Pharmacist’s Guide to Avoiding Dangerous Drug Interactions, Reactions and Side Effects is written so that anyone can use and access the information to protect themselves and their loved ones against adverse drug interactions, reactions and harmful or lethal side effects. Gold uses a captivating forensic or “detective” style to walk the consumer through case histories of dangerous drug interactions in which he explains to the reader what went wrong and what dangerous drug interaction was involved. This device immediately engages readers and, by encouraging them to look with him for a solution to the problem presented, gives them a quick, practical understanding of the subject.

No other book on the market offers the scope and clarity of Are Your Meds Making You Sick? A Pharmacist’s Guide to Avoiding Dangerous Drug Interactions, Reactions and Side Effects. By learning to think like a clinical hospital pharmacist we become aware of the common signs and symptoms of drug-induced illnesses and how to avoid them.

###

TIP SHEET:

This book reveals:

1. the 16 rules for safe medication use
2. how mixing drugs can hurt the kidneys and liver
3. how to avoid being one of the 2 million people hospitalized each year for drug interaction side effects

Category: Health & Fitness
Publication Date: November 2011
ISBN 978-0-89793-570-8 / Paperback $16.95
5½ x 8½ inches / 240 Pages

Published by Hunter House
Distributed by Publishers Group West
This book will be available in bookstores nationwide or may be ordered by calling 1-800-266-5592. To request a review copy or author interview contact publicity@hunterhouse.com or call (510) 865-5282 ext. 309.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—On Tuesday the World Health Organization’s branch that studies and determines the carcinogenic effect of certain exposures classified cellphone radiation as Group 2B—possibly carcinogenic. The announcement came after 31 scientists from 14 countries concluded a weeklong meeting at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in France, where they analyzed studies looking at exposure to electromagnetic fields from cellphones. To date, about 5 billion people around the world use cellphones, suggesting major health repercussions if cellphone use does increase the risk of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, as some studies have shown.

However, IARC asserts that this classification does not definitively mean cellphones cause certain types of cancer. “The evidence, while still accumulating, is strong enough to support a conclusion and the 2B classification,” Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, chairman of the IARC working group said in a statement. “The conclusion means that there could be some risk, and therefore we need to keep a close watch for a link between cellphones and cancer risk.”

Aside from increased risk of brain cancer, cellphone use has also been tied to developmental problems in kids, ringing in the ears, bone loss, concentration problems, and unsightly rashes. The “possibly carcinogenic” classification means cellphone radiation joins lead, chloroform, and DDT, as well as more than 250 other substances on the 2B list.

Image to link, The centenarian

The patients should never forget that their friends and family care about them, but they could have a strange way of showing it. There are two major ways to deal with such situations: keeping a distance and not talking to the sick person, or treating him or her like a child. These approaches are to be expected and it is best to make a plan to create a transition from the feeling during sickness to how those people feel when they are better.

The majority of the relationships that you had would change because people around you don’t really know how to handle the situation. There are some common scenarios that most probably you will encounter at some point.

One of the difficulties that you could be faced with is the changing of the responsibilities. Before you have been diagnosed you might have been in charge of a certain activity, and during the treatment you weren’t able to fulfill your responsibilities.

So another family member had to take care of them. After the treatment ended he or she would expect you to resume with your duty although you could not be up to it yet. In this case he or she will be frustrated and on the other hand you will tend to do more than you can handle.

It is possible that you have been the one making the decisions of the family and during the treatment you haven’t been up to the role. Once you have ended the treatment it could be confusing to decide when and how to switch the roles back.

Withdrawal is another reaction of the people around you. You shouldn’t think that this happens with bad intentions, but anyway, it is painful. They act so because they don’t know what to say or they are afraid that they could say something wrong. It is also possible that they simply don’t know how to offer support.

There is also the other extreme when people are giving you too much attention. The family and friends start treating you like a child that needs to be taken care of. They start doing things that you could do on your own as well. They could get excessively helpful.

The questions that some like to ask could become annoying. After a while it gets more than just sheer curiosity, and people get nosy.

Persons receiving treatment probably have some expectations, and they have to find that things don’t really work that way. This leads to frustration and it is very important not to take your frustration out on the people around you because you might push them away.

Naturally the problems that you could encounter depend on the kind of relationship that you had with the people close to you before the treatment.

Author Bio

This is a guest post by AltMedicineZone.com. We invite you to visit the blog for more information on alternative medicine and natural remedies such as acupuncture, reiki, Tai Chi, Feng Shui, hypnosis, and homeopathy.

Hilton Head, SC (November 2011)—Many of today’s young people face a crisis. Not only will they likely live shorter lives than their parents, but during their lifetimes, they won’t live as well as the generations before them. They’ll face increased chances of stroke, heart disease, and other physical illnesses as well as the challenges of depression, low self-esteem, and a lack of confidence. They’ll be limited by these physical and mental issues in their professional and social lives and won’t be able to live the healthy and vibrant lives their parents dreamt for them. What’s behind this devastating outlook for the nation’s young people? Childhood obesity.

It’s a problem, says Dr. David Katz, senior medical advisor at MindStream Academy (www.mindstreamacademy.com), a health and wellness boarding school in South Carolina, that won’t be solved through nationwide initiatives. It requires a proactive, intensive approach.

And that is exactly what will be discussed at the upcoming TEDx panel hosted by MindStream Academy, “Helping Teens Fit: If You Desire a Glorious Future, Transform the Present.” The conference will bring together a diverse group of medical professionals, thought leaders, and experts in their respective fields to begin to take a depth-not-breadth approach to ending the devastating epidemic of childhood obesity.

“This is by no exaggeration the issue of our lifetime,” says Dr. Katz, who is one of the leading international authorities on nutrition, weight management, and the prevention of chronic disease. “Without help, millions of American children are in grave danger.

“An immense amount of time and energy has been dedicated to bringing attention to this problem. And over time I think a widespread breadth approach to solving it can be successful. But right now, for the kids who are already suffering from obesity’s ill effects, we need a depth approach. They need intensive help that can’t be received from a nationwide PR campaign.”

And that is exactly what the panel will begin to address when it is held Saturday, November 12. The primary focus of the discussion will be how to exact change today to bring about optimum physical and emotional wellness to today’s young people. Event speakers include:

• Dr. David Katz: (Director, Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital, Yale University) Power of lifestyle over medical destiny
• Dr. Howard Rankin: (Clinical Psychologist, Neuroscience and Integrative Health) Mind over matter—how balancing your brain balances you
• Todd Patkin: (Author, Finding Happiness) Happiness isn’t measured by what your life looks like, but by how you look at your life—step-by-step tools adolescents need to build their best and happiest lives
• Kellee McQuinn: (Founder, Kid Tribe) Happier, healthier world for today’s children through music and movement
• Margaret Floyd: (Founder, Eat Naked) Eat naked for a healthier you—how stripping away the unnecessary extras and shifting from food products to real food can change your health and your life
• Gary Marino: (Million-Calorie March) Achieve health and wellness at any weight and never give up the fight
• Patrick House: (Winner, Season 10, NBC’s The Biggest Loser) Lean on Me: Learn Eradicate Advocate Nullify Obesity Now in My Educational System
• Jennifer Graftdyk: (Holistic Healer) Our cracks/flaws are what make us beautiful—letting go of inner conflict is the first step toward resolving it

Of course, equally important at the event will be its VIP list of guests. In an effort to spark a true grassroots effort to battle childhood obesity, invitees to TEDxMindStreamAcademy are politicians, physicians, and policy makers. Athletes, actors, and activists. Educators, equestrians, and environmentalists. Dieticians, dreamers, and doers. In other words, a multidisciplinary group who are collectively inspired and willing to do their part in Helping Teens Fit.

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TED is a nonprofit devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” TED serves as a virtual clearinghouse offering free knowledge and inspiration to the world at large. The ideas are spread through their very popular website (http://www.ted.com/talks), where fascinating thinkers and doers are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes or less). Notable TED speakers have been Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton, Jamie Oliver, and many, many more.

At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x=independently organized TED event. The TED conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.

MindStream Academy, the organizer of the event, offers a positive, safe, and caring natural environment where teens can learn healthy life skills to handle the stress and triggers that lead to unhealthy habits. It provides a fully accredited middle school and high school curriculum, as well as hands-on intensive and comprehensive health coaching, including nutrition, fitness, and behavioral interventions for teens and tweens struggling with obesity and related issues.

The conference will be held Saturday, November 12, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at SeaTurtle Cinemas in Bluffton, SC. It will be followed by a reception at MindStream Academy. Attendance at this event is invitation-only; however, you can request an invitation through the MindStream Academy website, www.mindstreamacademy.com.

“What is so exciting is that through the TEDx vehicle we can get our collective messages out to, potentially, hundreds of thousands of people,” says Dr. Katz. “Ultimately, the impact of this event is that it can serve as a ‘how-to’ manual for the citizens of the world to make positive lifestyle changes today so that our children can have brighter, healthier futures. That is a pretty powerful possibility. This is what every invitee and speaker to this event has been working toward—that’s why we tirelessly fight the good fight.”

# # #

About Dr. David Katz:
As one of the leading international authorities on nutrition, weight management, and the prevention of chronic disease, Dr. David Katz is in the trenches of the war against childhood obesity. In fact, he warned us many years ago that today’s younger generation will not live as long or as healthfully as their parents. Dr. Katz is also a prolific author, having published over 120 scientific papers, numerous textbook chapters, nearly a thousand newspaper columns, and a dozen books to date. In 2009 he was nominated for the position of U.S. Surgeon General to the Obama Administration by the American College of Physicians, the American College of Preventive Medicine, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, among other national and international health organizations. He is also the founding director of Yale University Prevention Research Center, director and founder of Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital, president of Turn the Tide Foundation, Inc., and editor-in-chief of the Childhood Obesity journal.

About MindStream Academy:
MindStream Academy (www.mindstreamacademy.com) is a full-service boarding school on a pristine 43-acre horse farm in South Carolina for teens and tweens who want to get healthy, fit, lose weight, take control of their lives, build self-esteem, and pursue a personal passion.

I’m Darryl Roberts, the director of the documentary “America the Beautiful 2: The Thin Commandments.” My new documentary takes a look at why BMI is misguided and how we can be healthy at a wide variety of sizes.

Before I get into that, I want to mention that we have some things in common as I grew up 10 minutes from you on the south side of Chicago. I’ve watched you and your husband ascend and set an example as two people who care greatly for our country and are doing everything you can to make it a better place — especially for our kids.

I wanted to write this letter because I’m sure you saw or heard about an article on Fox.com posted last Friday. I thought the interview was an interview about the film as a whole and it turned out to be a scathing indictment against you and the present government’s policies.

Here is a link to the Fox article in case you haven’t read it:

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/10/28/new-film-calls-out-government-for-contributing-to-nations-health-crisis/

So to clarify, when I mentioned you putting your kids on display, I was referring to comments made in the film by Paul Campos, author of “The Obesity Myth,” and he was referring to a comment that you made a while ago, “I recall visiting the pediatrician and being warned that ‘he was concerned that something was getting off balance with my daughter.’ I hadn’t noticed the changes, and the doctor suggested that I take a look at my kids’ BMI.”

I realize like millions of other mothers, you are dealing with information/statistics given to you by the government and doctors. Information I’m sure you feel affects the health of your children. I feel proud of you as a mother when I see how deeply you care about your two daughters, so I know you would do anything for them.

Unfortunately, as I’ve outlined in my new film, some of the statistics that you’ve been given about BMI, obesity and how to deal with it just isn’t true.

I don’t have kids yet, so you may wonder where I get my compassion for our youth. My care and concern for our youth comes from the national tour that I did with my first film, “America the Beautiful,” where I came across thousands of young girls that have had their youth affected in a deleterious way from either suffering from an eating disorder or having a low self esteem stemming from some form of body image dilemma resulting from feeling too fat or not being skinny enough.

Use of BMI (Body Mass Index) by doctors, our schools and the federal government leads the way in the body assault placed on our youth.

In my humble opinion, the use of BMI needs to be re-examined. The focus on childhood obesity should be on eating healthy, not on shapes, sizes and looking thin. It’s seems that you have shifted the focus of your campaign to exercise with the “Let’s Move Campaign” and I applaud you for that.

If we could institutionalize your great message of exercise and eating a balanced meal, instead of dieting and focusing on losing weight, millions of people would be empowered to become healthy in a realistic way. I say realistic because studies have shown that diets rarely work as 95% of people gain back the weight and sometimes even more.

It was a pleasure meeting you through this letter and I’d love to show you my new film. I feature several people in the film that are obese by BMI Standards, yet they are perfectly healthy and living lifestyles centered on exercise and
reasonable eating habits.

We are fighting the same battle and it is an absolute honor to have you at the forefront representing our nation’s youth.

Have a beautiful day!

Sincerely,

Darryl Roberts

There are many extreme views on this topic. Western science has traditionally clung to the dualistic concept that subject and object are separate, and there is no room for subjective (i.e., consciousness-based) experience in the scientific “rational” observation of the material world. Taken experientially, this interpretation states that the mind of the human being is simply a passive observer of a reality that is imposed by a totally deterministic external world, i.e. by forces of nature that we have no internal control over.

The opposite view, held by many mystics and spiritual practitioners across the ages, is that all experience in this world is created by consciousness, and that all tangible elements of physical reality are therefore ultimately an illusion. Then there are many beliefs, spiritual, philosophical, and scientific, that place themselves in the middle ground, existing as flexible mediums between these two extremes. One such belief system, celebrated especially by the New Age Movement, is the belief in the “Power of Affirmations” or the power of “positive thinking.”

When we make an affirmation, we generate a positive thought, but unfortunately it often doesn’t result in a real difference. Why? More often than not, the thought is generated in a contrived way and is not genuine. We may tell ourselves that “we are healthy and happy,” but deep down, we might not really believe it. Often, our positive thoughts are just a few thin layers covering a multitude of suppressed negative beliefs generated by fear, aversion, attachments and the like. These negative beliefs can be both conscious and unconscious, but regardless of their specific location in our psyche, they are clearly the obstructing force in any real effect of positive affirmation on our reality. So, positive affirmations can work, but only to the degree that they are truly genuine– that you generate them and sustain your belief in them from the deepest core of your being possible. This means being in touch with yourself, experiencing the true potential of your existence, and then being genuine to that experience.

So what is the deepest core of our being and how do we access it? This is the difficult part. We can use the metaphor of the onion and its many layers. Our deepest core is our true essence, and it is in no way separable from the essence of the Universe. When we peel back the layers of the onion, the layers of negative beliefs, distractions, fears, etc., we can actually reach this core essence and rest in it, naturally and effortlessly radiating energies of love, compassion and healing. The deeper we go, the more layers we peel, the more access we have to our true essence and the more genuine our affirmations can be, for this essence is simply pure openness, love: the true essence of positive affirmation. Often, and especially in moments of crisis, we can become more genuine to ourselves, to our experience of existence. This is the true opportunity presented by crisis. If we keep going deeper, we can start peeling into the depth of our experience, peeling back the layers that obstruct our essence. Then, when the openness is there, love and compassion flow effortlessly as a natural expression of our true nature, and anything can happen. Read up on lifestyle changes that are truly valuable to your health and well-being by visiting www.dreliaz.org/recommends-lifestyle.

Doctors Lovera Wolf Miller and David C. Miller are the authors of Womenopause: Stop Pausing and Start Living (O-Books) and they wrote it for just this reason. Their book is filled with the latest scientific information and solutions to help women feel their best during this vital time – more like a makeover geared to feeling fit, feminine and fabulous in four weeks!

Unfortunately, our culture has become obsessed with maintaining the appearance of youth – which does nothing to help the anxiety level of the 6,000 women a day reaching menopause right now! Their list of concerns just keeps growing: Will I lose my looks? Can I keep this weight off? Is my health going to deteriorate? Am I still sexy? Can I still be smart? Can I continue to be me?

Womenopause provides readers with a guide to help them create their own ‘designer’ treatment plan that is tailored to their individual needs, and it covers everything from bone preservation, hormones, hot flashes, breast health, brain power, skin, fitness, sleep, sex – a multitude of things that women deal with while going through menopause. This book doesn’t profess to be a ‘cure’ but it certainly is an invaluable tool. It cuts through all the hype and ill-informed opinions that have plagued women for years, keeping them on a roller coaster ride of ‘trends of the day’ – and instead offers real solutions that work!

The credentials of these professionals speak for themselves. Dr. Lovera Wolf Miller is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist, a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and a NAMS certified menopause practitioner. Dr. David Miller is boarded in pain and anesthesiology, taught neuroanatomy at UCLA, was an instructor of courses in physiology and neurophysiology, and is also a NAMS certified menopause practitioner. Please visit their informative websites at: www.womenopausebook.com and www.womenopauseinteractive.com

###

TIP SHEET:

This following review will be published in the November issue of Climacteric (the official scientific journal of The International Menopause Society):

Anna Fenton, M.D. “Womenopause…is an entertaining and informative romp through menopause and beyond…an invitation to action for women. From the basic physiology of reproduction and menopause through to chapters on symptom management, diet, exercise, sex and long-term health concerns, this is a clear and understandable account. It provides clarity for women about choices they may make as they reach menopause and demystifies the results of the Women’s Health Initiative. There is a strong emphasis on core health messages and each chapter finishes with a ‘challenge’ to reinforce those messages. The authors have a playful turn of phrase, coining expressions such as ‘meno-fog’, ‘hot dreads’ and ‘vagina sahara’. Sprinkled through the text are points that clarify many a misunderstanding among perimenopausal women such as the lack of utility of measuring FSH to gauge the stage of menopause, the normal age range of menopause, and the lack of validity of salivary hormone levels. The reference material at the end of the book is comprehensive and guides women to reputable websites and books…There is extensive use of case reports to illustrate points, along with the authors’ own charts and scoring systems to assess symptoms before and after treatment…The book is well written and entertaining and the enthusiasm of the authors for women’s health is infectious…I would recommend it for all women who wish to be well informed of their choices at and beyond menopause.”

HERSHEY, PA///October 25, 2011/// – Hershey customers and ethical cocoa advocates delivered more than 100,000 petition signatures to Hershey’s corporate headquarters today calling on the company to commit to buying ethically produced cocoa.

This delivery comes on the heels of three rallies that were held Saturday, October 22, at Hershey’s retail stores in New York City, Chicago, and Niagara Falls. At these events concerned consumers, teachers, and students collected signatures to be added to today’s total.

The petition drop was coordinated by Raise the Bar, Hershey!, a coalition of organizations fighting ongoing labor abuses such as child labor, forced labor and trafficking in the cocoa industry. The coalition and its 100,000 supporters are calling on Hershey to make a commitment to buying ethically sourced cocoa by Halloween, the US’s number one chocolate consuming holiday.

In addition to delivering the petition to the Hershey Executives, the nine members of Hershey’s Board were sent copies of the petitions with a call to use their position on the Board as a way to steer the company in the right direction to remain competitive. Many of the other major chocolate companies, including Mars, Nestlé, and Cadbury have made commitments to buying cocoa that has been certified to comply with international labor rights standards.

“A decade ago, Hershey signed an agreement to help fight child labor and other abuses in the cocoa industry,” said Elizabeth O’Connell, fair trade campaign director at Green America, a member of the Raise the Bar, Hershey! coalition. “Yet it has done far less than other chocolate companies to address these abuses. This Halloween, thousands of consumers are telling Hershey they’re fed up with cocoa tainted by the abuse of children.”

Signatures from the latest petition of the Raise the Bar Hershey campaign can be found at: http://www.change.org/petitions/hershey-raise-the-bar

Journalists interested in contacting Hershey’s public relations staff should try: Andy McCormick, vice president, public affairs, (717) 534-5739, amccormick@hersheys.com; or Kirk Saville, spokesperson, (800) 468-1714, ksaville@hersheys.com.

The Raise the Bar, Hershey! Coalition is led by the following organizations:

GREEN AMERICA is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America (formerly Co-op America) provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today’s social and environmental problems. For more information, go to: http://www.GreenAmerica.org.

GLOBAL EXCHANGE is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. For more information, go to http://www.GlobalExchange.org.

INTERNATIONAL LABOR RIGHTS FORUM is an advocacy organization dedicated to achieving just and humane treatment for workers worldwide. For more information, go to http://www.LaborRights.org.

For more information on Change.org, please visit:

http://www.change.org/about

Change.org is the world’s fastest-growing platform for social change — growing by more than 400,000 new members a month, and empowering millions of people to start, join, and win campaigns for social change in their community, city and country.

CONTACTS:
Elizabeth O’Connell, Raise the Bar, Hershey! Campaign, (704) 582-3634, eoconnell@greenamerica.org and Amanda Kloer, Director of Organizing, Change.org, (404) 451-6580, amanda@change.org