Viewpoint

The issue: Widespread and inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to a rise in deadly, resistant diseases.

Our take: The declining effectiveness of antibiotics has become a national public health crisis. The more they're used, the less power they have, as diseases morph to resist them. A whopping 80 percent of antibiotics in the U.S. are used not for human health but by the meat and poultry industry to make animals grow faster and to prevent sickness in crowded and unsanitary conditions.

Consumers Union believes that sharply limiting antibiotic use in animals is necessary to preserve the effectiveness of the drugs for treating diseases in people. We believe that supermarkets have not just an opportunity but also an obligation to help solve that health-care threat. We applaud the stores that offer meat raised without antibiotics. We urge all grocers to require their meat suppliers to reduce antibiotics in livestock production, and we urge shoppers to support those efforts by buying meat labeled "no antibiotics" when they can. For more information, read "Antibiotics Are Widely Used by U.S. Meat Industry" and go to Consumers Union's website MeatWithoutDrugs.org.

‘Sugar is a solid, dried, and crystallized food, whereas syrup is an aqueous solution or liquid food.'

       —Michael M. Landa, Food and Drug Administration, denying a petition by the Corn Refiners Association to be allowed to call high-fructose corn syrup "corn sugar." No, the FDA said in May, consumers aren't confused by the term high-fructose corn syrup, as the trade association contended. Consumers Union had urged the FDA to reject the petition.

When summer heat arrives, many of us crank up the air conditioner and steel ourselves for an eye-popping utility bill. To help homeowners save money, Consumers Union is urging states to improve energy codes for newly built homes so that they use less energy. In May, Ohio approved stronger codes, which will probably save owners of compliant homes in the state an average $190 a year on utilities. Consumers Union testified before an Ohio panel in support of the standards. We're pushing for similar improvements in Maine, Minnesota, and New Hampshire to help people enjoy homes that are more comfortable, more efficient, and of better quality. For information on Consumers Union's work on a variety of energy topics, go to OurGreenEnergyFuture.org.

That's the settlement Skechers is paying into a fund for buyers of its rocker-style toning shoes. The money goes to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the company's claims for weight loss, toning, and muscle strengthening were unfounded. Consumer Reports has also found that some wearers have been injured. To see whether you are eligible for a refund, go to skecherssettlement.com.