DAVID OBENDORF
June 24, 2009: The Endocrine Society, a highly respected international medical society of over 14,000 members in 100 countries, issued a seminal new report stating that exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals are a growing threat to human health and well-being. The report explicitly states that “the precautionary principle is critical to enhancing health.” The paper also asserts that in order to prevent disease, “Our chemical policies at the local, state and national levels, as well as globally, need to be formulated, financed and implemented to ensure the best public health.” Given the stature of the Endocrine Society, as well as its “sister societies”, such as the American Diabetes Society and the American Obesity Society, this report sends a clear signal to other health-related professional societies as well as policymakers that we can no longer ignore environmental contributors to a wide range of diseases and disabilities—in fact, we need to take a precautionary approach on every level of decision-making.
