Archive for October, 2005

Barbara Stitt, PhD, wrote about the the relationship between aggressive behavior and a diet of junk food in 1983. Her book, Food, Teens & Behavior, documents examples of improved behavior among even violent criminals with an improved diet of the nutrients required by the brain to function well. A recent article* “You do what you eat” by Marco Visscher reports on findings that support Barbara Reed’s work. He sites the experiences of a school counsellor, Greg Bretthauer, from the Appleton Central Alternative High School. In 1997 he went for a job interview at this school. “I found the students to be rude, obnoxious and ill-mannered.” Subsequently he turned down their job offer. Several years later he took the job after seeing that the school atmosphere had changed; “the students were calm and well behaved. Fights were rare. A police officer was no longer needed.”

Why? The vending machines had been replaced by water coolers. The lunchroom took hamburgers and French fries off the menu, making room for fresh vegetables and fruits, whole-grain bread and a salad bar.” The Principal, LyAnn Coenan, is still amazed by the significant behavorial changes since she altered food and drinks offerings eight years ago. “I don’t have the vandalism. I don’t have the litter. I don’t have the need for high security.”

Because highly advertised sugar-filled nutrient-empty foods and drinks are readily available to kids via vending machines, fast-food restaurants, quick pick-up stores and homes well-stocked with them, kids are eating and drinking about ten or more pounds of sugar a month. “Because we eat so much refined sucrose, our endocrine systems are constantly shocked … The blood sugar lifts get higher, the drops get lower, (resulting in hyglycemic conditions). As the blood sugar drops, the cerebrum – the area of the brain responsible for thought, learning, and moral and social behavior – starts to shut down, and the brain diverts its dwindling energy resources to the brain stem, which controls the more primitive responses: the drives for food and sex, aggressive/defensive instincts, basic bodily functions, etc.” Barbara Reed, PhD.

The beige, white, and tan diet filled with nutrient-empty, artificial additive-filled foods does not provide the brain, the most vulnerable part of the body, with the needed amount of vitamins, minerals, and unsaturated fatty acids which directly influence the brain. Kids are not eating vegetables. In fact, starchy trans-fat filled French fries are listed as their number one vegetable.
In addition, the soil in which commercially grown vegetables and fruits are grown are increasingly void of important minerals like magnesium, chromium and selenium. Artificial fertilizers are considered major contributors to this condition.

Minerals are brain food. Vitamins are brain food. Essential Fatty Acids are brain food. They are found in whole-grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds and other food groups. The Appleton school proved that kids will eat them. When you remove the junk food, peaceful calm tranquility is possible, even among teenagers. It is great to see more science supporting this truth.

* Marco Visscher, “You do wht you eat”, Ode Magazine, Issue 26.

Commercial television advertising of kids products is heavily invested in junk food. Of the estimated 40,000 commercials aired for children each year, 32 percent are for candy, 31 percent for cereal, and 9 percent for fast food. Unfortunately most of the cereals advertised fall under the classification of “candy cereal” as they contain about 3 teaspoons for carbohydrates (usually not complex) per ounce. Thus, about 63 percent of these TV ads (25,200 ads) are selling sugar products to young children. Since 9 percent are selling fast-foods (more junk food), only 28 percent of the ads targeted to kids are selling other stuff. No wonder adult-onset diabetes, obesity, ADD/ADHA and other “diseases” are skyrocking in number among the young.

Kritisen Harrison, professor at University of Illinois, noted that these nutrient-poor, high-sugar products continue to dominate television advertising aimed at children between the ages of 6 to 11. The National Advertising Review Counsel (NARC) are looking at making recommendations designed to strengthen self-regulation in children’s advertising. Too bad they didn’t stop to think how the proliferation of these junk food ads would impact the health and behavior of children, young and old, and take a healthier position sooner.

Source: FOOD USA navigator.com, “Are parents or the food industry to blame for obesity?”, 9/26/2005

Mintel’s Menu Insights, a menu-tracking system, learned that more than 47 percent of children’s menu items were fried. Chicken fingers are first on the top five list. Grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers, macaroni and cheese and hot dogs are the second, third, fourth and fifth choices in this order. No surprise. Actually, four out of the five top choices, or 80 percent, are fried. Macaroni and cheese is usually baked. Where are the French fries in this list? Probably not far behind the top five.

It is time that restaurant chains improve menu options for kids, one that have red, yellow and green naturally source foods in them. That is why subs are listed as Better Choices in the book, Are Your Kids Running on Empty? At least kids voluntarily include bits of vegetables in them. Good Subs, good burritos and tacos are menu options kids like. Ask for them to be added to restaurant choices. Consumer demand creates change.

Source: FOOD USA navigator.com, “Are parents or the food industry to blame for obesity?”, 9/26/2005