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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, May 22, 2008

Letters to the Editor

CHILDHOOD OBESITY

INSURERS SHOULD COVER MEDICAL EVALUATION COST

Thank you for the article "Children pay high price for obesity" on the front page Sunday.

There is much happening in Hawai'i to address our childhood overweight epidemic. The Department of Education is implementing the Wellness Program. The Department of Health, through the Healthy Hawai'i Initiative, is working on the Physical Activity and Nutrition Plan. The John A. Burns School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics recently held a mini-retreat to review the pediatric overweight research needs for our state.

Through a grant from the HMSA Foundation, the Pediatric Foundation of Hawaii is working with the Hawaii Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics to offer statewide training for healthcare professionals in The Hawaii Pediatric Weight Management Toolkit. This locally written toolkit is focused on helping pediatric healthcare providers implement recent national expert recommendations concerning evaluation and treatment of overweight children and adolescents.

Unfortunately, these efforts are stymied because health plans do not pay for doctor or dietitian services when evaluating and formulating treatment plans for overweight and obese children. Families must spend their own money to access these needed medical services.

The time to act is now. Employers, health insurance plans and mutual benefit societies: Join the rest of the healthcare community and work with us as we move our community forward in efforts to protect our children from the ravages of obesity. The children of Hawai'i need your help now.

Galen Chock M.D.
President, The American Academy of Pediatrics, Hawaii Chapter

'LONG WAR'

NO CLEAN, UNSULLIED END TO THE DISASTER IN IRAQ

In December 2004, I wrote a letter to this paper asserting that the U.S. must fulfill its commitment to Iraq as a matter of honor.

As the "Long War" drags on — with little sign of progress — I believe that my former misguided idealism far oversimplified the matter at hand.

As I have heard Barack Obama express (perhaps in not so many words), there will be no clean answer to end the Iraq war. We must not be led astray by absolute idealism; rather, we must achieve resolution by getting down and dirty in the impure complexity of our world.

In this moral bog, there will be no sparkling answer to the Iraqi quagmire; instead, we must face its issues with pragmatic flexibility, ever aware that there will be no silver bullet miraculously bringing a clean, unsullied end to the Iraqi disaster.

Stuart N. Taba
Honolulu

PEDESTRIANS

SENSIBLE PROPOSALS TO HELP INCREASE SAFETY

If the city is genuinely interested in pedestrian safety, it ought to institute the following common-sense approaches:

  • Remove unguarded crosswalks from all city streets. Marked but unguarded crosswalks provide a bogus sense of security to many pedestrians.

  • Pedestrians need to make sure that they have made eye contact with approaching drivers to assure that the drivers have seen them. Too often, Honolulu pedestrians blithely enter crosswalks without even looking for possible dangers. O'ahu pedestrians often behave just as foolishly in parking lots.

  • Pedestrians should wear white or reflective garments when lighting is poor. Furthermore, regardless of the time of day, drivers should be required to drive with headlights illuminated when it's raining.

  • Establish serious, cross-agency, state-city collaborations aimed at enhancing countywide enforcement of existing laws that require drivers to have auto insurance. When former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani started arresting subway and street scofflaws two decades ago, crime rates plummeted. It's reasonable to assume that getting Honolulu's insurance scofflaws (estimated at 10 to 20 percent of Honolulu motorists) off the road would substantially improve pedestrian safety.

    All it takes is leadership. And leadership would certainly be a nice change from the typical post-tragedy handwringing rituals at the Capitol and Honolulu Hale — generally followed by little more than finger-pointing.

    Michael P. Rethman
    Kane'ohe

    TRAFFIC

    NEVER COMPLETELY SAFE FOR ISLAND BICYCLISTS

    John P. Wendell (Letters, May 19) states, "What is present is the perception that our roads are unsafe for bicyclists."

    The "perception?" For me, it has been reality.

    There was the time I found myself splattered against a motorist's windshield after she made a left turn in front of me although I had the right of way. Or the time I had to swerve hard as I rode in the bike lane on Kalaniana'ole when a truck's trailer swerved into me.

    There were the innumerable times when I had to yell at motorists so they'd notice me as they were turning into my path.

    I can't forget the time I had to bang on the side of a large pick-up as he made a right turn, crossing the bike lane and forcing me to turn with him.

    I'm not trying to discourage anyone from biking in traffic — acquire the skills and you will increase your odds of being safe. But also know that it is never completely safe.

    Byron Lai
    Honolulu

    CLICK IT OR TICKET

    WHY NOT FOCUS INSTEAD ON DRUNKEN DRIVERS?

    Letter writer Paul D'Argent (May 16) is right about one thing: Government is focusing on the wrong issue.

    I understand that seat belts save lives, but it seems to me that a lot of money is being spent on this Click It or Ticket ad campaign.

    Why doesn't the government use those resources to go after real criminals who cause the accidents, such as drunken drivers. A similar ad campaign addressing drinking and driving, including DUI checkpoints, would save more lives.

    According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, there were 38,588 traffic fatalities nationwide in 2006, 17,602 of which were alcohol related. That means that 17,602 lives may have been saved had there been no drinking and driving. FARS also reports that 28,049 of the total fatalities that year were wearing seat belts (60 percent), and 14,325 were not.

    Since we cannot know exactly how many of those unrestrained fatalities would have lived had they been wearing seat belts, we can assume that 60 percent of them would have died anyway, given that 60 percent of the total fatalities were restrained.

    That means that about 5,730 lives could have been saved had 100 percent of the drivers in the country been wearing seat belts.

    Of course, looking at these statistics we can only speculate. But I think it is clear that by addressing a greater danger like driving under the influence, the government can prevent more senseless deaths on the road than by penalizing everyday citizens on the road for forgetting to put on their seat belt.

    Shawn Brodland
    'Aiea

    SAFE DRIVING

    FANCY CAR, BUT OWNER SHOULD HAVE IT CHECKED

    On a recent evening while driving home to Kane'ohe via Pali Highway, I noticed a distinguished gentleman driving a beautiful red BMW convertible with a vanity license plate.

    Although his car was a beaut, I don't think he is aware that some parts of his car are possibly malfunctioning.

    He changed lanes at least six times within two blocks (in quite-congested traffic) and neither turn signal went on even once.

    I also am concerned that his speedometer might be malfunctioning, because he accelerated to more than 65 mph (in a 45-mph zone) as he passed the final light near Waokanaka.

    I would encourage him to get his car looked at. Turn signals are a very important tool to let other drivers know your intentions. He could get into a terrible accident, since his turn signals do not seem to be working.

    Amy Sato
    Kane'ohe

    MAKAPU'U

    PLEASE REVERSE DOG BAN ON LIGHTHOUSE TRAIL

    No dogs at Makapu'u Lighthouse (Ka Iwi) Trail? Woof?

    When I arrived with my dog for our regular walking exercise up the Ka Iwi Trail (Makapu'u Lighthouse) last week, I was very disappointed to learn it is now prohibited to take this walk in the company of my dog.

    The fellow told me it was because "someone" made a complaint about dog poop on the trail.

    My experience has been for the past 10 years that the vast majority of folks who walk their dogs on this trail take a bag, pick up the doo-doo, and dispose of it properly. Yes, I too have noticed that some folks don't do this, but it is an overreaction to dogs altogether when there are other, better, happier options.

    DLNR — please educate and work with the public to keep the trail cleaner and in general become more responsible citizens.

    Perhaps post a sign, "Pick up after your dogs," and maybe even provide bags and more trash cans. Even non-dog owners could use reminders to dispose of their empty water bottles and cigarette butts. We count on you to think of and enact solutions instead of simply saying "no." Please reverse this ruling.

    Herlinda Lopez
    Waimanalo

    DIAMOND HEAD

    ALLOW ELDERLY, DISABLED TO ALSO ENJOY RIM VIEW

    A few weeks ago on Mother's Day, I did my occasional Diamond Head Crater hike to the top of the rim, and, as always, enjoyed the breathtaking 360-degree view of our city.

    Returning back to the parking lot, I noticed a gentleman sitting in a wheelchair outside a van.

    Assuming he was a visitor to Hawai'i, I asked him if he was here with friends and/or family. He said his group went hiking up Diamond Head, but he could not go because he was wheelchair-bound.

    Currently, there are no facilities at the crater to accommodate those who are disabled or elderly to help them get to the crater rim and enjoy the same scenery as we do.

    I hope our state officials consider some sort of tramway or other lifting machine system to take the elderly and disabled to the top of the rim, the smaller unused viewing area just below the already-crowded main viewing spot.

    The disabled and elderly should also be afforded the same rights as their younger and healthier counterparts.

    Rick LaMontagne
    Honolulu