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Advocates of the elderly took advantage of a "listening
session" in San Antonio on Tuesday to bend the federal government's
ear and insist that it do more to keep environmental problems from
compromising the health of seniors. The Environmental Protection
Agency is developing what it calls a "National Agenda on Aging and
the Environment." The University of Texas Health
Science Center hosted one of six meetings held around the country early
this month to gather public input. About 100 people attended the San
Antonio session. For the most part, speakers
urged the EPA to do more research into how various chemicals, including
everything from pesticides and pharmaceuticals to old discarded tires and
dirty diapers, affect seniors and to take stronger actions to minimize
their potential risk to the public. Gabriel Fernandes, professor of
medicine at the center, said seniors are eating more fish and using fish
oil as a dietary supplement because studies have shown that fish
consumption can protect against cardiovascular disease, some cancers and
arthritis. But mercury and other heavy
metals, which can be especially harmful to both pregnant women and the
immune systems of older people, can accumulate in large fish, Fernandes
said. Fernandes recommended
"more attention to and more frequent examination" of such
contaminants in fish found in lakes, rivers and coastal waters. Lou Ann Ligon, a 72-year-old
Dallas resident, questioned the Bush administration's plan to rewrite a
rule that currently requires power plants to install the least-polluting
equipment whenever they seek to upgrade their facilities. "Please don't trade our
health for corporate wealth," she said. Opponents of San Antonio's
decision to introduce fluoride to its drinking water also prodded the EPA
to stop cities from adding the chemical to public water supplies, because
they believe it is unnecessary and could harm residents. Others asked the EPA not to
overlook more ordinary issues. Roger McCarter, professor and
deputy chairman of the department of physiology at the health science
center, said the EPA should concentrate on reducing air pollution,
encouraging regular aerobic and strength-training exercise and improving
diet. "The quality of air we breathe, the food we eat and the exercise we
perform directly impact the way in which we age," McCarter said.
"All three deserve attention in order to save U.S. taxpayers huge
expenditures for elderly health care in the immediate future." Carol Zernial, director of the
Bexar Area Agency on Aging, said suburban sprawl is leaving many elderly
residents behind, because they can't walk to a grocery store or other
businesses near their homes. "We need senior-friendly communities that are smaller and more
livable," she said. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
