3 The Daily Tar 'HeelMonday. August 30. 1982
Are 'miracle' pills safe?
OJar ill?
a
jro o editorial freedom
John Drescher, eiw
Ann Peters.
KERRY DEROCHI.iirrEJ.Mr
RACHEL PERRY. University Editor
ALAN CH APPLE. City Editor
JlM WRINN, State and National Editor
Linda Robertson, Sports Editor
AL STEELE,
After Beirut
With the evacuation of Palestine Liberation Organization soldiers
from Beirut nearing completion, the major problem now facing the
United States, Israel and the Arab world is finding a solution that will
bring about a stable and permanent peace in the Middle East.
Two objectives must first be met: the complete removal of all foreign
forces now occupying the war-ravaged country of Lebanon; and the start
of negotiations to solve the question of Palestinian self-rule.
Most pressing is the immediate need to establish an autonomous
Lebanon, free from the divisions brought on by the occupation of the
country by Israeli and Syrian troops. Lebanon's population, part Chris
tian and part Moslem, already is in political conflict, and the task of set
ting up an independent, neutral and stable country there will be difficult
for its new president, Bashir Gemayel. The United States, with the help
of special envoy Philip Habib, must take it upon itself to hammer out a
withdrawal agreement that will allow Lebanon to begin rebuilding itself
after the recent fighting.
Complicating the problem is Israel's steadfast refusal to leave, the coun
try until all the Palestinian soldiers have been removed, and until the
Syrian troops have withdrawn. Syria, in turn, refuses to leave until Israel
pulls out. Until both reach an agreement to withdraw from the country,
no stability is possible for Lebanon.
Once Lebanon is given a chance to work out its problems with no out
side interference, the United States can begin to press for negotiations to
solve the problem at the heart of Israel's invasion of Lebanon: the ques
tion of self-rule for the Palestinians.
Such a plan obviously will be difficult to negotiate, but is a necessary
prelude to future peace talks. Then, and only then, can talks begin with
the ultimate goal to find a place for Palestinians in the Middle East.
In the haste to end the fighting between Israelis and PLO guerrillas,
fighting that has reduced Beirut to a pile of rubble, the Palestinian pro
blem of self-rule seems to have been overlooked by Israel. Thus, it is up
to the United States to press for a solution.
President Ronald Reagan has made it clear that he recognizes the cur
rent dilemma. Secretary of State George Schultz recently called for a
revival of the Camp David peace talks, with Palestinian autonomy the
eventual goal. The Camp David accords, reached three years ago, pro
vide a framework for a possible settlement.
Under a portion of the plan never implemented, Egypt, Israel and Jor
dan would set up a "self-governing" authority on the West Bank and
Gaza Strip for the Palestinians during a five-year transition periodAfter
that period, talks would be held to determine the final status of the
Palestinian state.
Basic differences remain between how Arab countries and Israel inter
pret this plan. Israel refuses to accept the PLO as a representative of the
Palestinians. And Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon said Friday that
Israel would never accept a Palestinian state on the West Bank.
Before such negotiations can begin, the Israeli and Syrian troops now
occupying Lebanon must be withdrawn. After that, the United States can
continue the process of negotiations it began at Camp David. If any
peace plan for the Middle East is to be successful, Israel must address the
Palestinian problem of self-rule and agree to a settlement.
Editor's
The news in
Seville, Spain is a long way k.
from Chapel H21, but there
are certain similarities, accor
ding to DTH staffers Lucy
Hood and Leila Dunbar.
One of those similarities is
television programming.
Although Spain's two net
works are owned by the
government, they broadcast
an abundance of American
movies and TV series, even if
they are a bit dated.
" 'Dallas' seemed to be
everybody's favorite pro
gram," Hood said, "but they
if
Leila
are a couple of years behind J.R. just
got shot."
Dallas' may have made its way to
Seville, but that's where the similarities
end between the U.S. media and the
Spanish media. Hood and Dunbar, both
Spanish and journalism majors, took a
sabbatical from Chapel Hill and the
DTH to spend their junior years studying
Spanish at the University of Seville. Once
there, they quickly discovered Spanish
newspapers were much different than
what tliey were used to in the States.
Many of the differences could be at
tributed to government interference.
"Madrid's El Pais, the biggest paper, has
been threatened by the government that
it will be closed down if it prints embar
rassing articles about the govement, i.e.,
the truth," said Dunbar, who is now an
assistant managing editor v "The Seville
paper, ADC, still hasn't accepted the fact
that (former ruler)' Francisco Franco is
dead. I'm surprised that they still don't
quote him in the news."
"The papers are not very good and
tend to sensationalize Jog often," said
Hood, who writes fqr the projects' desk.
"But considering that democracy has
been established for all of eight years,
they are doing pretty well."
. Dunbar and Hood agreed that the
Spanish media were tougher on Presi
dent Ronald Reagan than the American
media. "Editorials criticize Ronald
Reagan for being a cowboy, an actor and
a lunatic who will push the nuclear but
ton," Dunbar said. "They are more
afraid Reagan will push the button than
they are Brezhnev will." :
While in Spain, Hood and Dunbar still
had contact with the American media.
They read European editions of
Newsweek, Time, the international
Herald-Tribune and, of course, The Dai
ly Tar Heel (although in all honesty, it
Mam Editor
Ken Mingis. jotcm
ELAINE MCCLATCHEY. Projects Editor
Susan Hudson, Fr Editor
LEAHT ALLEY, Arts Editor
Teresa Curry, weekend Editor
Photography Editor
note-
Seville
1
Dunbar and Lucy Hood
wasn't a buropean edition). "Mom was
faithful in sending the DTH" Hood
said. "During the first three months, the
DTH was another one of those gifts
from home that you guarded with your
life. The DTH was read in Spain by
Spaniards as well as fellow Tar Heels."
Although now 4,000 miles away from
Spain, the country's influence remains
with them and affects their work at this
paper. "A writer is a recorder and sharer
of his own experience," Dunbar said.
"You can't write on something you
don't know about. It has given me new
knowledge to draw upon. Going to
Seville helped me to look at things dif
ferently, as a reporter, as a writer and as
a person."
Today's expanded sports section, The
Sports Page, will appear each Monday.
Its creation is part of an effort to bring to
the paper more of the news, sports and
features readers want. Other changes in
clude a special features page, Accent,
which will appear each Wednesday, and
World News and Briefly, which appear
daily on page 2. In addition to these
changes, the name of the DTHs Thurs
day supplement has been changed to
Weekend. Weekend will provide a calen
dar of the week's events and added
coverage of what to do in Chapel Hill
and the surrounding area.
We look forward to hearing your re
action to these changes.
John Drescher
Editor
Bv RACHEL PERRY
Fat one of mankind's most diffi
cult enemies. As the ferocious battle be
tween thin and fat struggles on, more
and more "miracle cures" are offered
in lieu of good old-fashioned nutrition
and exercise.
They promise immediate, miraculous
and painless weight loss, with the stan
dard testimonial of a former chubby
person who lost 68 pounds in two weeks
with this latest scientific wonder.
Just scan the advertisement pages of
most any magazine for a dazzling dis
play of diet aids body wraps and suits
that sweat it off, protein drinks so you
can drink it off, neat little Swedish gad
gets so you can work it off twice as fast
and, most prolific of all, diet pills that
dull the appetite and let desperate dieters
stave off hunger pangs on the road to
thinness.
Diet pills seem the easy way out.
"Take weight off . and keep it off;"
"just one pill before every meal will curb
your appetite, you'll eat less and lose
weight," the packages claim.
But the pills have generated much
controversy. The Food and Drug Ad
ministration is conducting extensive re
search on over-the-counter diet pills,
while the medical community remains
divided on the questions of safety and
effectiveness. Those opposed to the pills
point to heart attacks, drug abuse and
even deaths, while others say the pro
ducts are not harmful if taken correctly.
Nearly 10 million people in the coun
try are currently taking non-prescription
diet pills, says a manufacturers spokes
man. Consumers are spending about
$200 million a year on them.
Just how safe and effective are these
pills?
"They are not effective at all for
long-term weight loss; diet pills are a
temporary crutch," said Lisa Battaglia,
who runs the holistic weight manage
ment group for UNC's Student Health
Service. "It's like prescribing a magic
pill, but it just doesn't work that way.
It's a placebo effect, also. If you think
you'll lose weight with the pills, you just
might."
But weight loss with diet pills is
minimal at best, experts say. "One study
showed that people lost on the average
of one-half pound a week in programs
that lasted for four weeks that
amounts to a loss of only two pounds,"
said Sandra Hak, SHS pharmacist.
"It's hard to say it's worth taking that
kind of risk for two pounds."
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Food service shocks
To the editor:
Today, I would like to speak on a sub
ject that is all too near to my heart.
Food.
After three years at this university, I
should not be too amazed at the various
remarks that, from time to time, issue
forth from the adrninistration. However,
the remarks by Associate Vice Chancellor
for Student Affairs James Cansler
concerning the food service situation sur
prises even this cynical senior.
For someone who is supposed to be
concerned with Student Affairs, he seems
strangely unconcerned with the scam that
ARA, Inc., seems to be serving up this
semester. When combined with the other
remarks being made on this subject by
ARA officials and even Student Govern
ment types, it's enough to make even a
mild-mannered type like yours truly rage,
foam at the mouth, and write nasty letters
tothe7H.
Cansler, in an article "ARA meal card
plan causes confusion" (DTH, Aug. 25)
was paraphrased as saying that ARA ac
cepted a one-sided commitment with the
University and its students. He further
said, "They provided meals when the
students wanted to eat and then gave them
back their money when they didn't eat
there."
A lot of "them" didn't eat there. As
one of the people who bought one of those
budget cards last year, I feel that I might
. be able to explain why.
The first few weeks of the semester last
year, when there were "budget meal
plans" to be sold, the service and quality
of the food at the various ARA
establishments across campus were
satisfactory, almost good. After the marks
I mean, students were hooked to the
tune of several hundred dollars, quality
took a serious turn for the worse.
Suddenly, the cheerful employees
became less than enthusiastic. Some even
gave up all pretense of civility. The service
slowed to a crawl, and, what's worse,
sometimes the food seemed to crawl, too.
The suckers, uh, I mean "budget meal
plan-holding students," began to flee the
rapidly declining food service for the
higher quality, and often less expensive,
Franklin Street restaurants. They could af
ford to do this because they had refund
able meal plans.
Now, ARA is making sure that another
such defection will at least prove pro
fitable. To spell it out, sports fans, once
ARA has your $350, $450, or $550, you've
just lost your freedom of choice concern-'
ing food quality.
Perhaps ARA believes that with this
assured income, they can offer an improv
ed meal service. Those of us ancient
enough to remember Servomation (who
had such an assured income) know such
ideas to be either delusion or an out-and-out
fib.
No doubt, you are all waiting with
baited breath for me to unveil my solution
to the complex problem of food service.
Well, Ihappen to have two.
The first one is completely practical:
scrap it. The existing eateries in Chapel
"Diet pill use is very common among
college-age women," Battaglia said.
"Being overweight is simply unaccept
able in our culture, especially for
younger women."
In a college town such as Chapel Hill,
merchants consistently report heavy diet
pill sales.
"They sell fairly well here, probably
better than in a non-college town," said
Ed Lowdermilk, manager of Revco
Drugs on Franklin Street. "The girls are
younger and more appearance-conscious
here. It's seasonal, too. Around
March, when it gets to be bathing suit
f SfevSl&S-1 ' proline
y (k i v I xietac
K lS " In U$ fl
1 1
weather, we sell a lot more."
Ed Spruill, manager of Rite Aid on
Franklin Street, estimated the store sold
at least five sometimes 10 boxes of
diet pills a day.
Dr. Segrid Nelius, director of the
dietary rehabilitation center at Duke
Medical Center, warns dieters that
changing eating habits and exercise pat
terns is the only true way to maintain
weight loss.
"People say, 'I want to take some
thing that melts away my fat' so they
buy diet pills," she said. "But they al
ways have side effects, and no artificial
solution stapling your stomach, in
testinal bypass surgery or diet pills
will work for the rest of your life."
Even the manufacturers of the pills
admit that reducing caloric intake is the
only way to eliminate extra poundage.
"If you can stick to a diet, you don't
need our product," said Dean Siegel,
spokesman for Thompson Medical
Company, the manufacturers of Dexa-
Hill are sufficient for the needs of the
students. Beef up the Student Stores snack
bars to help take up any on-campus slack
(after all, they seem to be able to make a
profit). True, there will be complaints
from parents who believe their little boys
and girls can't manage money. In my
opinion, however, if they can't, it's time
they learned.
My second solution is an idealistic one,
one rooted firmly in capitalism: establish
on-campus competition between different
restaurant chains occupying Chase, the
Union Snack Bar and the Pine Room.
The next step in my idealistic plan is
even more far-fetched: have the UNC
Cashier or the UNC Student Stores issue a
card based on the 1980-81 version of the
ARA budget card. Allow students to
deposit money in this card account and
spend it at the UNC Student Stores. Now,
give Chase, etc., to the restaurant com
panies basically rent free, on the condition
that they tie into this card system. I would
expect many downtown businesses will
want to tie into this system. But, like I
said, this is the idealistic plan.
The most important action to be taken
on this issue is for the students to let the
administration know this problem exists
and must be corrected. Else, the ad
rninistration will shove something down
the students' throats, as usual.
Tim Champion
N-10 Royal Oak
Incorrect info
To the editor:
The recent article titled "Dorm Cook
ing Policy Causing Controversy" (DTH,
Aug. 23) contained an important error.
, Referring to the letter sent to dorm
residents, the article stated I "knew
nothing of the memorandum being sent to
residents until the day before they were
sent out." In fact, I discussed the policy
change with Donald A. Boulton, vice
chancellor for student affairs, early in the
summer and was fully aware that changes
were being discussed. Only the final
memorandum was unexpected.
The cooking policy is not final and until
it becomes the permanent policy of the
University, controversy is bound to exist.
However, incorrect information only
creates confusion and is a disservice to
students. Only by debating the true issues
can the students help create a residence
hall environment which is both safe and
convenient.
Students who wish to influence the final,
cooking policy should call Kevin Monroe
or Ellen Goldberg in the Student Govern
ment office (962-5201).
Michael P. Vandenberg
Student Body President
Harvard racism
To the editor:
Last Tuesday, The Daily Tar Heel chose
to include cn its editorial page an article
entitled "Racism at Harvard Law School"
(DTH, Aug. 24). The facts of the article
trim, Control, Prolamine and Appe
drine diet pills. "It's to help those peo
ple with overwhelming appetites control
them."
But debate on the safety of over-the-counter
diet pills is more heated. Oppo
nents of the pills say their ingredients
contribute to' dangerously elevated
blood pressure and other medical prob
lems, sometimes even death.
Criticism centers on the common in
gredient phenylpropanolamine, or
PPA an appetite suppressant also
found in many cold and allergy pro
ducts. Caffeine is another common in-
gredient in many diet pills.
"PPA is a chemical stimulant," said
pharmacologist Joe Graedon, author of
The People's Pharmacy books and a
syndicated column of the same name.
"Some of the pills say they contain no
stimulants, but PPA itself is similar to'
amphetamines, the main ingredient of
prescription diet pills," he said. "PPA
should be defined as a stimulant."
Doctors have long known that PPA
can cause nervousness, insomnia, rest
lessness and headaches, Graedon said in
a telephone interview. "The safety issue
is a very real one here, and there have
been many questions raised about blood
pressure."
The pill packages themselves usually
contain a caution that people suffering
from high blood pressure, diabetes,
heart, kidney, thyroid diseases or de
pression should not take the drugs.
Pregnant or nursing women, along with
people more than 60 or under 18 years
old, are also urged not to take the pills
cynical senior
are indisputable and tragic enough;
however, the effect of the article is to pro
mote and to foster an attitude that the civil
rights movement has achieved black
equality and now serves only to promote
another type of racism often called
"reverse discrimination".
Obviously, Jack Greenberg is more than
qualified to teach a course in civil rights
litigation at Harvard Law School. But just
as obviously, the recruitment of black"
faculty members at predorninantly white
universities is a legitimate concern to both
blacks and whites alike. A deficiency of
black faculty plagues not only Harvard,
but also UNC where in the past, students
of both races have sought to increase
faculty diversity.
This particular case study of the
overzealousness of "a group" of black
Harvard law students reinforces and pro
motes an attitude that the civil rights
movement has served its purpose and has
now gone "too far". Though blacks are
free to eat in public restaurants and many
blacks and whites attend integrated
schools, blacks still suffer preferentially in
our society. While total unemployment
stood at 9.1 percent in May 1982,
unemployment for black males stood at 17
No frying pans
No frying pans allowed. No grills.
poppers.
A new University policy in a trial period this semester will boot
these appliances from dormitory rooms and squelch student cooking in
the residence halls.
The policy, which becomes official in January, is in reaction to recom
mendations by state Insurance Commission officials who have warned
the University administration of the fire hazards caused by high-heat
cooking appliances. The administration responded by devising a policy
that would protect the safety of students.
But so far the lack of student involvement in the policy has rendered it
incomplete. At issue is not only the safety of students, but also their rights
to cook in the rooms. Students now must take advantage of the current
semester to voice their opinions.
Safety precsutions necessary
That safety precautions are needed in the dorms is not que
Three fires in the past year have damaged dorm rooms, the w
about $S0O of damage. Just last week a fire broke out !
Hea-nre Hall when a fell asleep, le' ' w
Letters?
We at The Daily Tar Heel encourage
all fellow students to write letters of their
reactions to campus issues, their opinions
on global affairs, or their innermost dark
secrets. Each day we rush to our letter
box located outside of our office in
the Carolina Union in hopes of f d
ing a handful of white envelopes.
Unlike this "letter" we received Sun
except under the supervision of a physi
cian. .'-'
Siegel refuted claims of negative side
effects. "When a product is used as di
rected, there should be no side effects,"
he said.
But Bambi Young of the Center for
Science in the Public Interest, a group
lobbying to ban over-the-counter diet
pills, said the stimulant effects, in
cluding potential abuse, are the main
reasons the group opposes the pills.
Just one average dosage of PPA has
caused heart failure and strokes, ac
cording to studies and letters the FDA
has received from diet pill users across
the country, Young said. Some users
also have reported hallucinations and
other psychotic reactions.
When abused alone or in combination
with other drugs, diet pills can lead to
death. An FDA official said he had
heard of 15 deaths from PPA since the
agency began a study about 18 months
ago.
In 1979, an FDA advisory review
panel determined that PPA was safe
and effective at a dosage level of not
more than 150 milligrams per day, al
though that level was reduced to 75 mg
in 1981. Most pills contain a daily PPA
dosage of 75 mg.
The final verdict on the safety of diet
pills will not be reached for another
three or four years, when the FDA com
pletes its studies and research.
"The FDA is concerned about the t
safety (of diet pills) more studies are
needed to see the extent PPA induces
hypertension," said pharmacist John
Short, administrator for the FDA ad
visory panel.
Dr. Peter Mandels, medical officer
with the FDA Division of Drug Ex
perience, said he wasn't sure the pills
.were dangerous. "It's hard to define
dangerous in this instance," he said.
Many of the PPA-connected deaths
occurred after the victims had mixed the
pills with other drugs and alcohol to
achieve other effects, Mandels said.
The use of diet pills will remain an
issue, probably even after the FDA
completes its research. In the meantime,
questions about potential dangers and
effectiveness in weight reduction linger.
The only certainty is that people will
always look for quick and painless ways
to lose weight.
Rachel Perry, a senior journalism and
political science major from Fayette
ville, is University editor of The Daily
Tar Heel.
percent according to Employment and
Earnings, U.S. Department of Labor,
June 1982, Table A-8.
Our educational system seems irrelevant
to far too many blacks. In our courts,
justice often miscarries in cases involving
blacks. And the black median family still
suffers from years of discrimination: white
median family income $20,502, black
median family income $12,380 accord
ing to Statistical Abstract of the United
States, 1981, Table 726.
Though the romance of the movement
which existed under Martin Luther King,
Jr., may be gone, the civil rights move
ment still faces social and economic issues
descended from years of discrimination.
Progress has been made as evidenced by
the presence of blacks at Harvard Law
School, but racially related problems still
exist. The problems, if anything, are much
more complex. They include attacks on
the civil rights movement in the courts, in
the administration, in Congress and in the
indifference and antipathy many whites
promote.
John Reed
6-D Town House Apts.
U.LW, At EJHo.
CRY. WtthmiEtiwr
No hot plates. And no oil popcorn
day, all letters and contributions of col
umns should be typed, triple spaced on
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Column writers should include their
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