Des Moines Register

By Jennifer Jacobs

May 8^th, 2012

Those who know Bruce Braley well say one of his defining personality traits is doggedness. The former trial lawyer follows projects from start to finish, and staffers say he insists they do the same.

Braley's name is bandied about as a future U.S. Senate candidate (to replace Democrat Tom Harkin if he chooses not to run again in 2014, or to replace Republican Chuck Grassley, who is up for re-election in 2016).

"I think Braley is a rising star in the Democratic Party," said state Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield. "I believe he has shown some common sense in picking his fights. He doesn't run off willy-nilly at the head."

A panel of eight Iowa and Washington-based journalists organized by The Des Moines Register ranked Braley fourth in effectiveness out of Iowa's seven congressmen. That placed the three-term Braley above two colleagues with more seniority in the House ? Republican Steve King and Democrat Leonard Boswell ? as well as Dave Loebsack, who was elected at the same time as Braley.

Braley got off to a fast start in proposing and steering passage of legislation during his first two terms, when Democrats were in power. That's tougher this term, now that he's in the minority.

One accomplishment that Braley points to when he was part of the majority is reforming the way Medicare pays Iowa doctors, who have historically seen lower payments from Medicare than doctors in larger states. Iowans in Congress had sought to change the formula for years. At 3 a.m. on a Saturday in 2010, after hours of negotiations with Democratic leaders over the health care reform law, he helped secure an agreement to change the payment structure.

His staff noted practical accomplishments to benefit his district. When the 2008 floods washed out a bridge over the Cedar River in Waterloo that the Iowa Northern short-line railroad company used to carry goods, the rail cars had to make a 300-mile detour. That increased costs for manufacturers and farmers. Braley successfully pushed for money to repair rail lines knocked out by natural disasters. The railroad bridge reopened in late 2009.

Braley is also into plain talk. Lawmakers have made numerous attempts over the years to require the government to write forms and documents in easy-to-understand language, but Braley's bill, the Plain Writing Act, was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010.

He helped secure a tax credit for small businesses that hired unemployed workers. In Iowa, the credit assisted in the hiring of 104,000 people through the end of 2010, his aides said.

Braley ranks 87th in the lineup of the National Journal's most liberal to least liberal members of the House. He is more liberal than 80 percent of the House on social issues and 84 percent on foreign issues, according to the Journal analysis of votes cast in 2011.

Braley, whose father fought on Iwo Jima, champions veterans issues, and he has a remarkably good working relationship with Republicans on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, congressional insiders said. For example, Braley and a freshman Republican from Indiana did two field hearings last fall, one in Iowa and one in Indiana, on unemployment among veterans.

To help disabled veterans retrofit their homes, Braley co-sponsored a bill to expand a grant program. He worked with U.S. House Speaker John Boehner to help win House approval of the Andrew Connolly Veterans Housing Act in 2011. The proposal is now stuck in the Senate.

Meanwhile, to keep in touch with Iowans, Braley does a conference call with Iowa reporters on Wednesday mornings and sent out 278 news releases in 2011. He has visited every county in the 1st District in the past 12 months.

"He just does everything that he could possibly do. He has been fantastic," said Pat Sass, chairwoman of the Black Hawk County Democrats. "You couldn't find anyone that's more active."

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Obesity isn't just an American problem; in Britain, doctors have begun administering the diabetes drug metformin to the unborn babies of morbidly obese mothers-to-be to reduce the fetuses' weight.

The reason: dangerously overweight pregnant women create excessive amounts of insulin, which results in "sumo babies" weighing 11 pounds or more. These extra-large newborns have twice the chance of becoming obese adults, and their numbers have risen by 50 percent in the past four years. Obese pregnant women are at a higher risk of dying while pregnant, and their babies are more likely to be stillborn.

"I don't know how many more signs we need in Western society before we really get serious about our health," says Gordon Filepas, author of Lean And Healthy To 100 (www.adviceformychildren.com), a guide for achieving optimal health based on studying cultures where long lives are the norm.

"Are we really treating unborn babies for obesity?"

In his research, Filepas found many common practices and characteristics in especially healthy cultures. They include :

• Calories: It's not necessary to count calories; people in healthy cultures don't! Once you give your body what it needs, you'll naturally consume fewer calories. This puts significantly less stress on the digestive system and reduces the potential of ingesting toxins.

• Heavy on nutrients: Human beings evolved as hunters and gatherers who took every opportunity for caloric intake. In the process, a wide spectrum of nutrients became the norm, and that is what bodies still crave today.

• Focus on whole and unprocessed foods, fats, and oils: Examples include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and grains. Meat, which is usually the main dish in Western culture, is often treated as a side dish in the cultures Filepas studied.

• Limited toxins: This includes few, if any, pollutants from processed food, water and other beverages, medicine and air.

• A sense of purpose: Individuals from these cultures feel like they are making a difference beyond earning money, and tend to work long days, six days a week.

• Innate exercise: Virtually no additional form of exercise is needed beyond their daily activity.

• Alcohol: Every culture has alcohol. Healthy populations drink regularly, but in moderation. And, they take a greater sense of responsibility for their health.

• Traditional cooking methods: This means low-tech methods, absent of microwaves.

Finding a lifestyle that naturally promotes excellent health became an obsession for Filepas after the deaths of his father and brother in a three-month time span. He wanted to ensure he and his wife and three sons would be together for years to come.

"I tell my friends, family and anyone who will listen: Whatever you hear about health in America, do the exact opposite and you'll be much healthier than the average American," he says. "Americans are bombarded with confusion and misinformation about health; it's a life-or-death situation."

About Gordon Filepas

Gordon Filepas spent 20 years researching Lean And Healthy To 100, interviewing physicians, attending seminars, and reading medical journals and other health-related literature. He is the founder of TGM Partners, a consulting and investment firm. Filepas says he was motivated to learn more about the requirements for optimal health following the deaths of his father and brother within three months of each other. He hopes to ensure the good health of his family, including his wife of 25 years and three sons.