Estrogens in Plastic Bottles: Are They Affecting Boys?
The established American habit of drinking water or soda from plastic bottles is also one of the causes of a tendency of many boys and young men to lose their drive and fail to grow up. Leonard Sax, MD, PhD, says the synthetic estrogens found in plastics additives has been emasculating our boys and pushing our girls into precocious puberty.
In his 2007 book “Boys Adrift,” Sax describes five major factors contributing to what he calls a growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men. One of these five is environmental estrogens from drinks stored in plastic bottles, including baby bottles. Baby toys and pacifiers have contained the stuff too. What stuff? BPA and phthalates, used to soften and condition the plastic. Plastic bottles with recycling #1, used for bottled water and soda, are a key culprit.
Scientists are aware that the chemicals are environmental estrogens, and have focused on their tendency to cause cancer. Animal studies pinpointed the amount that would cause cancer in animals, and acceptable dose limits were created from those studies.
Sax asks the question, how does taking estrogen affect a male? In the past decade or two, many of us have been drinking our water from plastic bottles. In fact, the soda manufacturers switched from aluminum cans to plastic bottles. This makes us part of an enormous experiment evaluating the effect of taking estrogen on males. Sidestepping the question of whether it might cause cancer, Sax says he thinks it makes young males placid, and causes delayed puberty.
The plastics additives and four other factors together are influencing a generation of men who aren’t growing up, according to Sax. One study he cites found that, 25 years ago, just 8 percent of men between the ages of 35 and 40 had never married. But in 2006, that proportion had risen to 22 percent and was still rising. (New York Times Aug. 6 2006, “Facing Middle Age with No Degree and No Wife” by Porter and O’Donnell)
Other studies showed the proportion of men under 35 who never left home has doubled in the past 30 years. Also, 36 percent of babies born in 2004 in the U.S. were born to single women. That’s single women of all demographic categories.
Congress is somewhat aware of the threat to our children. It directed the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban phthalates from children’s products as of August, 2009. This includes baby bottles and pacifiers.
But the Food and Drug Administration is the agency in charge of food and drink containers like water bottles, and it is choosing to believe the 11 industry-funded studies showing small amounts of BPA are safe. (There are 104 independently funded studies showing it is hazardous, according to Catherine Zandonella, MPH, of The Green Guide, an online magazine.)
A safe consumer will avoid plastic bottles, especially ones where the beverage has been allowed to get warm (allowing the chemical to leach into the beverage more quickly). The acid in soda performs this function as well. Especially look for plastic bottles with a recycling number of 1, 3, or 7. These are the main culprits. In addition, don’t warm your food in plastic containers.
The epidemic of men and boys who don’t grow up has four other causes as well, as seen by Sax:
* Requirements to sit still in kindergarten. Children these days are taught to read in kindergarten, at an age when most boys aren’t ready. So they begin to hate school.
* Video games
* Pills to treat ADHD
* No traditions for transition to manhood in our culture
If this piques your interest, you should read this book. Everyone should read it, I think. It was an eye-opener for me and will be for you too.
LJ James On “Sons Of Anarchy”
I have just finished reviewing the 2nd episode of the brand new FX show “Son’s of Anarchy”. I have been a a big fan of another FX Show “The Shield” for years and I have to say, I have enjoyed “Sons of Anarchy” so far. The show has awesome bikes and ton’s of action!
As a Member of an Outlaw Motorcycle Club, I can see many mistakes already in the show. One thing that really surprised me is how people have reacted to the show and me personally. People who know I’m a member of a Motorcycle Club are asking me, “You guys aren’t really like that, are you?” Most of these people have known me for years! Now after a couple of episodes of “Sons of Anarchy” their wondering if I’m leading some kind of double life.
Can you imagine if a show about criminal killer Florists came out? How many people would ask the local florist if they where really like that? One fact of life about being a Biker I have come to except is, it’s real easy for people to think of Bikers as the bad guys. It has always been and probably always will be that way. I wonder how many Cops had people ask them the same question when the Shield came out? I also wonder how many Police Officers who watch the Shield and know that show is fiction will watch “Sons of Anarchy” and think that’s how Motorcycle Clubs really are! The FX show “Sons of Anarchy” is fiction and it is way over the top.
Son’s of Anarchy is going to shine a bright light into the Motorcycle Club world. Where as the last ten years have been all about Motorcycle Builders and has led to a lot of people getting into Motorcycle Riding, I believe the next ten years will be all about Motorcycle Clubs. Now this show could be a good thing for Motorcycle Clubs if, in-between all the fictional action, it also focuses on the bond of Brotherhood Motorcycle Clubs are really based on.
Although there is opportunity for “Sons of Anarchy” to make a positive statement about Motorcycle Clubs, I have a feeling the show will have a negative impact on Clubs, Independent Bikers, and the Motorcycle Community in general. All they would have to do is highlight the good stuff Motorcycle Clubs do and the positive impact that they have on their communities, I don’t think that is the way the program will go.
All the Motorcycle Clubs out there are going to need to keep their eyes wide open and watch any new prospects. MCs need to make sure that new prospects are there for the Brotherhood and betterment of the Club and the community. You don’t want prospects to live out some misguided fantasy they may have seen on TV or in some Movie. Another big concern of mine is people who will just go out and throw on a set of patches and think they are the “Sons of Anarchy”. The Motorcycle Club world is all about Respect and there is a serious protocol that is followed by all Clubs. I would not recommend violating that protocol in any way.
Motorcycle Clubs have spent the better part of the past 20 years working hard to shake the old biker gang stereotype of the 60’s and 70’s. Now that we have come so close to accomplishing our goals, a show like “Sons of Anarchy” or the upcoming HBO show 1% are here to try and drag our image back into the gang image. How far will these shows set us back? 20-30 Years? I am asking the producers of these shows, there sponsors, and everyone else out there to please remember that Brotherhood is what the Motorcycle Club world is truly about.
Your Bro, L.J. James AmericanBikerX. com
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