02 Apr The rise in ADHD diagnosis- NYT
Quotation of the Day: “There’s a tremendous push where if the kid’s behavior is thought to be quote-unquote abnormal — if they’re not sitting quietly at their desk — that’s pathological, instead of just childhood.” — Dr. Jerome Groopman, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, on the dramatic rise in the number of children diagnosed with, and given medication for, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Full article in the NYT here:
Not to say that conditions like ADD and ADHD don’t exist. Simply that they are profoundly over diagnosed. Children need movement and a variety of activity. They need activities, activities, attention and excercise in their daily routine. They also need to be able to talk with one another during learning activities.
From a Naturopathic Medical doctor’s perspective, whole food nutrition is fundamental to a child’s overall health, and particularly for cognition. There is no doubt that food irrefutably affects concentration and mood. A plethora of peer-reviewed journals including Pediatrics, JAMA, NEJM have published research on behaviour problems linked to to food additives and coloring, wheat, high fructose corn syrup, etc. Moreover, deficiencies in key fatty acids and nutrients from poor food choices also impact peptide formation, fluidity of cell membranes and neurotransmitter production.
Let’s bring back recess and encourage whole foods that are minimally processed and full of colourful fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds!