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I recently posted on some telling “health” statistics in the U.S. It’s so refreshing to know what Americans are really fighting for with regard to health care, because the strong belief of some is that every American has the right to be on as many drugs as their neighbor. For the mass American mentality–that’s health! Awesome.

Americans are fighting for their inalienable right to drug their children. Yes, they are…that’s health, remember? If parents can’t understand their children, and public school officials can’t understand their children, then their good doctors will be there to help. Yes…with anti-depressants. In fact, more children are on psychoactive drugs today than on any other drug ever before in history.

Is it me? Do I just not understand health or health care? Are we blessed–part of the “haves”–if we can get antidepressants for our children? Ohhhhh…maybe I’d better go back to doctor school. I thought health and wellness was something else.

According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics study published in September 2011, antidepressants were the third most common prescriptiondrugtaken by Americans of all ages in 2005–2008.

And from 1988-1994 through 2005-2008, the rate of antidepressant use in the United States among all ages increased nearly 400%.

Isn’t that awesome? Aren’t we so fortunate here in the U.S.? Hope Obamacare brings antidepressant drugging to every citizen in the nation, especially children. It’s our right to NOT be sad. Yay, Obamacare!!!

Here go some more stats for you:

  • 11% of Americans aged 12 years and over take antidepressant medication.
  • Females are more likely to take antidepressants than are males, and non-Hispanic white persons are more likely to take antidepressants than are non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American persons.
  • About one-third of persons with severe depressive symptoms take antidepressant medication.
  • More than 60% of Americans taking antidepressant medication have taken it for 2 years or longer, with 14% having taken the medication for 10 years or more.
  • Less than one-third of Americans taking one antidepressant medication and less than one-half of those taking multiple antidepressants have seen a mental health professional in the past year.

I love these statistics. They show how much healthier we are as a result of the mass antidepressant prescription campaign. Thank you Obamacare, for caring so much that you want me and my children to have as many antidepressants as we need. No more sadness for us. We are so fortunate to have real health care in this country; and so fortunate that we may all get even more courtesy of our federal government and caring medical industry. Truly awesome.

In my recent obesity debates, I noticed a disturbing trend among many proponents of fantastical new theories on obesity, which included some doctors: They were adopting a “obesity is far too complex to blame a singular (or few) product/action” position. As I remarked in an earlier post, I think this poorly thought out opinion only perpetuates the problem.  No less erroneous than the genetic theory of obesity, denying the obvious simply gives the obese person a reason to pull themselves, and their lifestyle habits, out of the equation. As a result, it ensures that obesity will remain a lucrative disease entity in need of a cure (à la cancer).

Case in point: In response to a recent report coming out of the Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, that has showed soft drink manufacturers to be stepping-up advertising to children and teens, particularly blacks and Hispanics. The American Beverage Association, whose members include soft drink companies, disputed the study’s findings. Said the group’s Chief Executive Officer Susan Neely in a statement,

“This report is another attack by known critics in an ongoing attempt to single out one product as the cause of obesity when both common sense and widely accepted science have shown that the reality is far more complicated.”

Uh huh…listen up obesity enablers: Aspects of obesity may have some complexity to them, but how it originates physiologically in the individual isn’t complex. Any right-minded person not driven by profits or ego (doctors…) simply cannot deny that imbibing ten teaspoons of sugar (contents of one can of soda) will lead to metabolic and hormonal changes that ultimately cause obesity.  If you’re this person, forgive me but…you’re an idiot.

This post is about weight loss.  It’s about basic physiology, and personal responsibility (ooh, dirty words).  I recently tweeted a bunch on a subject I wrote about three years ago.  The number of responses I received was incredible.  The subject was on giving the cholesterol lowering medication, statins, to children.  In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommended screening children as young as two-years-old for high cholesterol.  If a child is found to have high cholesterol, the Academy recommended putting him or her on statins to prevent future cardiovascular disease.  My response today is the same as it was three years ago–it’s a freakin’ crime!

I know too much about physiology and human health to accept this as a treatment option for children, let alone the first line of defense.  Statins have side-effects, and they are also based on a faulty premise–that low density lipoproteins (LDLs) are the most important factors in cardiovascular health.  While definite contributors, LDLs are simply not as important as high density lipoproteins (HDLs) when it comes to cardiovascular risk.  To consider giving drugs that most people take for a lifetime to children as a preventative is purely irresponsible.

But, really, the criticisms I encountered weren’t about points I made on statin use in children.  They were mostly directed at a particular line, an idea,

“Childhood obesity? Excuse my language, but…that’s effin’ child neglect and abuse by lazy, undisciplined, ignorant parents.”

Now many people said, “Bravo! Thank you for telling it like it is.”  Many others, however, felt it was callous, off-base and out-of-sync with the real causes of obesity.  Some tweeters informed me that my understanding of basic physiology was prehistoric, and that my solution to the obesity problem (I didn’t know I had actually given one) was short-sighted and erroneous.  So in the next few posts I will attempt to clarify my thoughts on weight loss/weight gain, the obesity epidemic and parental responsibility as it relates to the weight–and health–of a child.

I am actually going to start with my thoughts on parental responsibility.  I contend that if you as a parent are not responsible for your child and his or her health, then who is?  This question is only obvious to those parents who share this philosophy, and won’t be to those believing (either consciously or subconsciously) that health is the responsibility, and byproduct, of something outside themselves.

Every parent will say that they take full responsibility for their child, but far too many act otherwise.  What you do your children will do, period.  They eat what you eat, they think like you think, and they care for themselves in the same way you care for yourself.  How is your child’s weight, then, independent of you?  Oh, you didn’t shove the cookies down his or her throat…but did you buy them?  Maybe you thought it was harmless to feed your child cookies as a baby…I hope you know better now (Plenty of tweeter critics claimed to not feed their children junk food…listen, your obese child is eating junk food–WAKE UP!)

Parents of heavy children have lots of support for their innocence.  The concept that “your illness is not your fault” is preached by many doctors, psychologists, talk show hosts, media celebrities and support groups; and while it’s true that illness is not a fault, it certainly isn’t true that we have no hand in how our health plays out.  More importantly, though, everyone has the potential to achieve and maintain great health, no matter what the current circumstances.

When health issues arise, the most important thing to do is determine where changes need to be made.  Whether talking about major lifestyle modifications–like quitting smoking, or changing food habits, or exercising–or simply getting checked by a professional, change is an absolute necessity in correcting any health problem.  How soon you make that decision can mean the difference between life and death.  Symptoms are your body’s way of telling you something needs attention.  Ignoring them is the worst possible approach you can take toward your health.

Obesity, as a morphological symptom, is a major change–and it just doesn’t happen overnight.  Once parents see it unfolding, they have a responsibility to act (neither children nor teens can make this decision on their own) and create change.  For parents of chubby or obese children, this also means how you decide to change.  A child isn’t going to change independently from his or her parents.  Are you going to change your diet to a more healthful one?  Are you going to eat less, and decrease your intake of junk foods, fast foods and sodas?  Are you going to work out, play sports with your kids or take fitness classes together?  Your child isn’t going to change without you–you’ve got to change as well.  And simply dishing them off to Little League will not do either, as building their confidence before they compete in groups will be paramount to their psychological health and well-being.  The bottom line is that parents must get actively involved in the obese child’s life, if they are to stand a chance of losing weight.

For new parents, it simply begins with creating good habits from the very start–the foods you expose your children to, the activities you share, how much television you watch, and so on.  You control the environment, and your choices contribute to your children’s bodies, and their health.

Obesity is reversible, that’s a fact.  How you see things, and how you approach the world determines your chances of overcoming (or your child overcoming) obesity.  Too many people lose weight for it to simply be a ‘hopeless situation’.  Blaming obesity on genetics, hormones, depression, lack of health insurance or anything else will not change the fact that everybody is capable of being either obese or anorexic, as well as everything else in-between; it just comes down to one’s habits in determining where one will weigh-in on the scale.  You have the power to change anything with regard to your health, or that of your child’s.  Understanding this, and fully embracing it, is the only way to create lasting changes.  Denying it will only get you the same, which is definitely your prerogative, but don’t act as if you have no hand in the matter.

Parents, here’s one to think about: More than 5,000 U.S. children and teens are injured every year in falls from windows; but the problem isn’t confined to high-rises–most falls are from the first or second story.  Something to think about before airing out that unattended room by opening the windows.

According to a recent study published this week in the journal Pediatrics, preschoolers are the most at-risk from falling out of windows, and they also suffer the most head injuries. “Two-thirds of these injuries occurred among children younger than 5. This is the age group that’s mobile, curious and does not recognize the danger of falling from a window,” said senior author Dr. Gary Smith of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.  Fewer than 1% of these cases led to deaths, but the researchers said the tally likely underestimated fatalities because not all children who die from their injuries are brought to the hospital.

Parents don’t realize how easily children can climb up to windowsills by using toys or furniture as a boost.  And screens may appear as sturdy objects to little ones who don’t know any better.  A fall to the pavement below sure is tough way to learn that lesson.

The good news is that very few are fatal, but head injuries are common, so taking precautions is the best practice.  Window guards that run between $20-$40 can be installed, as can bars.  Window guards have a quick release that allows escape from a fire or other emergency.  No doubt, they’re ugly–but better ugly than Humpty Dumpty.  We have window locks in our place that allow us to keep the windows cracked, but prevent a child from slipping through–godsend for people that love fresh air.

Just think, 5,000 children per year dropping out of 1-2 story windows–that’s 100 per state!  That means the odds of yours being one ain’t that small.  Take precautions and prevent pediatric window diving…especially if you live in Wyoming.

So last post I discussed how all industries have an inherent drive toward sustainability.  It’s only natural–no industry will work to render itself obsolete.  This is my best explanation for the significant rise in ADHD diagnoses over the last decade.  As that industry grows, many mouths are fed, from the diagnosticians, to the experts and researchers, to the drug manufacturers, to the authors, to the critics, and the list goes on and on.

Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that between 2007-2009, an average of 9% of children between the ages of 5 and 17 were diagnosed with ADHD. This compared with just under 7% between 1998-2000.  Again I ask the question: Are more children being born with this disorder every year?  The genetic explanation is always popular, you know.  Or is it something in the environment?  Video games, social media, what?

Further, researchers have found a narrowing of prevalence among racial groups–that is, whites, blacks and some Hispanic groups are being diagnosed in comparable numbers.  You don’t say?  With Obamacare on its way, you bet I do.

But astute doctors understand that increased numbers do not always tell the whole story.  According to study author, Dr. Lara J. Akinbami, a medical officer with the National Center for Health Statistics, “We don’t have the data to say for certain what explains these patterns, but I would caution against concluding that what we have here is a real increase in the occurrence of this condition.”  Precisely.

“In fact, it would be hard for me to argue that what we see here is a true change in prevalence,” Akinbami added.  “Instead, I would say that most probably what we found has a lot to do with better access to health care among a broader group of children, and doctors who have become more and more familiar with this condition and now have better tools to screen for it. So, this is probably about better screening, rather than a real increase, and that means we may continue to see this pattern unfold.”  Bingo!

You see, better access means “more widely accepted”, and therefore, “reimbursable.”  That is exactly why it is being diagnosed across a broader racial spectrum.  Universal health care means, “every ADHD diagnosis pays.”  No worrying about the uninsured; everybody has the right to have a child labeled ADHD now.  What a magnificent country we live in–equality at its finest.

And “better tools to screen for it” means, “wider, more accepted parameters; acceptance of subjective criteria used by diagnosticians to account for variability, as this is a mental condition.”  So darn near any non-conforming kid is a candidate for ADHD drugs, like Adderall or Ritalin, and the industry continues to sustain itself.  According to the National Institutes of Health, ADHD is the most common behavioral disorder among children.  Well, no shiitake mushrooms–I hope you see it, too.

This is really an interesting phenomenon if you take the time to analyze it.  The industry will keep growing, and it won’t change until parents say, “Enough! No more!”  No more drugging my children, no more labeling them as dysfunctional, no more holding my child back because teachers don’t understand how to inspire him, no more discouraging my kid by assuming something is wrong with him because he doesn’t care about the same things an outdated school system tells him to care about.  It won’t change until parents wake up.

Don’t believe me when I tell you the ADHD industry is growing by keeping itself relevant and sustainable?  We’ll let the good doctor, Akinbami, explain it in her own words:

“Children of ADHD use a lot more health care dollars than their peers, because the condition itself requires a lot of monitoring. And they are also much more likely to have other chronic health care conditions, such as asthma or learning disabilities or conduct diagnoses like conduct disorder, which makes managing them for schools and physicians and parents much more difficult. So, it’s clearly something for public policy experts to be concerned about.”

In other words, “Not done growing.”  I’ll keep opening my big mouth until people get it.

According to a recent Scientific American article titled, How to Build a Better Learner, neuroscientists believe that the cognitive functions of good learning depend heavily on what psychologists call ‘executive function‘.  Executive function encompasses cognitive attributes such as attention, working memory (what you can hold in your mind with regard to recently learned material), and gratification delay.  They believe that these abilities can predict whether a child will, succeed academically in the future.

One of those attributes in particular–the ability to delay gratification–scientists believe is the foundation of better learning.  And more importantly, they believe it is a teachable skill.  One program, called Tools of the Mind, tried in some low-income school districts where children typically have poorer  academic outcomes, trains children to resist temptations and distractions, as well as to develop working memory and flexible thinking.

The techniques seem so powerful that some educators and economists are now contemplating public policy measures to ‘improve self-control’ as a way to “enhance the physical and financial health of the population and reduce the rate of crime.”  These are the remarks of authors of a recent study which appeared in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.

I find this an interesting concept, albeit a potentially misguided one.  Although I agree that children, and therefore people, fare better in life when they are able to practice discipline and delay immediate gratification, and I also agree that these are the foundations for successful academic learning, I do take exception to the idea of making ‘self-control’ a public policy, in the form of a required class or instruction for children, because I know that it will also have a backlash.  Self-control can be taught, but I think it’s better to lead by example (in the family), than pushing it through a curriculum.  Anything forced on children will have a significant amount of resentment accompanying it.

I just do not believe a program like this will succeed in its goals of enhancing health and finances, or in reducing crime, simply because children that have trouble controlling their impulses will never be forced into practicing self-control.  Yes, many children will respond favorably to the program, but I beleive these same children would do well anyway, no matter what their programs.  Okay, perhaps a handful that wouldn’t otherwise get to learn about self-control and delayed gratification might benefit, but an equal amount will actually do worse as a result of the forced behavior.  Many will seek immediate gratification even more, as a rebellion toward authority.  Listen, some children can’t conform to classroom rules right now for the same reasons, and so they are labelled as having a disorder, and they are drugged.

This type of program will actually create poorer physical and financial health and likely increase crime (if not in number, than in severity).  It’s a fallacy to believe that every child will respond to any program, let alone a  majority.  More likely, there will be gradations of responses–some good, some poor, and everything else in between.  But again, I contend, when something becomes mandated, the rebellious members of society will revolt and actually go against the grain.  That’s life.

What also bothers me is that it seems very similar to what religions do right now, as far as teaching morality in their schools and churches.  Our current public policy, however, has been to veer away from the moralistic teachings of religious institutions, so why package it as something new, with just a different name, under the guise of a psycho-therapeutic and neuroscientific approach to child development?  It’s gratification delay!  It’s what the church and moral majority have been preaching for forever!  Why is it okay now?

It was always okay.  Political ideologues got hold of something they wanted to do away with, and are now realizing it was actually serving a purpose all along–amazing when those discoveries are made, when science and religion coincide.  Nevertheless, you mark my words, if it does become public policy, this type of program will create a bigger, badder sociopath to counter the hordes of children being ‘taught’ self-discipline.

Summer’s here–time to cool down.  Put the kids in the portable pool and forget about it, right?  Wrong!  Every five days a child dies in a portable pool–this according to a recent U.S. study, first of its kind.

From 2001-2009 there were 209 deaths and 35 near-drownings of children, 94% of them under five, and 81% happening in summer.  Horrible.

“The anecdotal evidence was suggesting that because portable pools are readily available in many convenience stores and malls, and they’re relatively cheap, parents would pick them up, take them home, quickly assemble them, and all this would be done without a lot of forethought about the safety aspects,” said senior author, Dr. Gary A. Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.

The study looked at portable pools, from wading pools less than 18 inches deep to inflatable pools and other soft-sided pools that can reach depths of 4 feet.  Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Independent Safety Consulting in Rockville, Md. They say the findings are comparable to drownings related to in-ground pools.  Unfortunately, portable pools don’t have the many safety nets–like pool covers, fences, alarms, and removable and lockable ladders–that in-ground pools can have.

The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals supports “layers of protection,” and the study underscores the importance of active, undistracted adult supervision, said Carvin DiGiovanni a senior director at the Alexandria, VA-based association.

Listen parents–no kidding!  You can’t leave kids in, or near, a pool of any sort unsupervised.  Same goes for bathtubs.  I sure most everyone heard the news of the child drowning in the tub, while mom went to play on FacebookDuh!

I don’t mean to bash people here, because I cannot think of a more painful experience than losing one’s child to a bad mistake.  Nobody’s suggesting that people should be helicopter parents, but c’mon…gotta supervise the little tykes in the water, period.

According to the researchers: children were supervised by adults in fewer than half (43%) of the drownings and near-drownings, and that most (73%) were at home.

Further, the study showed that CPR was administered to the drowned or near-drowned child only 15-17% of the time.  Researchers conclude that it’s high-time every parent learned CPR.  I couldn’t agree more.  Take it from a guy who saved his own mother’s life with basic CPR–you’ll wish you knew it when the time comes unexpectedly.

Well surprise, surprise–the U.S. government has finally woken up to its dangerous practice of adding fluoride to drinking water.  A recent report discloses that an increase in “spotting” of childrens’ teeth due to the added mineral has become a concern for health officials.  Oh thank goodness…now perhaps they’ll exonerate Bruno and Galileo, as well.

According to the report, the federal government plans on lowering the recommended fluoride levels in drinking water from an outrageous 4 milligrams per liter to 0.7 mg/L of water–the first recommended lowering of fluoride levels in public drinking water in the last 50 years!  This a result of the increasing changes in childrens’ teeth over the last three decades.

I don’t know if anybody is as pissed off as I am about this total disregard for public health from the federal government.  I speak in detail of this horrific practice in my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health.  My research into the fluoridation of drinking water was extensive, as I consulted with many experts in the field; and they all agreed–fluoride in the drinking water is dangerous!

So why has the government continued this practice, despite numerous groups speaking out against it (including the Fluoride Action Network, Beyond Pesticides, and Environmental Working Group, which all threatened legal action if the EPA did not lower its ceiling on fluoride)?  The power of the American Dental Association (ADA), that’s why!

If you haven’t heard me say it before, you might be surprised to learn that I believe the dental association is the most crooked since auto mechanics and used car salesmen.  With virtually no alternative to American dentistry, this industry is free to practice, advise, and get rich as they please, with the public health taking the hits.  The mass fluoridation of the drinking water supply is greatest example of this abuse of power.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the splotchy tooth condition, called fluorosis, is unexpectedly common in kids ages 12 through 15. And it appears to have grown much more common since the 1980s.  No kidding–experts have warned of this for years.

The report also states that about 2 out of 5 adolescents have tooth streaking or spottiness because of too much fluoride. In some extreme cases, teeth can even be pitted by the mineral–though the powers that be now claim many cases are so mild that only dentists notice it. They say the problem is generally considered cosmetic.  I do not believe this assessment for one instance.

A scientific report five years ago said that people who consume a lifetime of excess fluoride–an amount over EPA’s limit of 4 milligrams–can lead to crippling bone abnormalities and brittleness.  Duh!  Read my book, Kathleen Sebelius!

Speaking of the Health and Human Services Secretary, she could make a final decision on details of the changes within a few months. Why should it take so long, I wonder?

Whereas some health officials are said to be concerned about cavities, I wonder out loud why we all (especially children) should  be put at risk for something addressed by simple tooth brushing.  To insinuate that we need more than brushing and dental cleanings is ludicrous.  Doesn’t anybody else see the enormous scam the Dental Association has levied on us–pay us hundreds of dollars for cleaning, buy special toothbrushes (that you can get in my office!), floss your teeth, stay away from sweets…but wait, that’s not good enough, suckers–we’ve got to dump fluoride in the drinking water, too.  Never mind that it’s an unsubstantiated practice: It’s all based on belief, not empirical evidence.  Read my book.

I was infuriated when Los Angeles succumbed to ADA pressure and started fluoridating in 2007.  And I praise the city of Portland, Oregon for holding out on this bogus practice.  Europe does not take part in the dangerous dumping of fluoride into the drinking water supply.  Is it because they do not care for the health of their people?  Quite the contrary–it’s because they do.  Stay tuned–I will keep you informed of further developments.

**Fluoride levels in drinking water were lowered in 2015 – first time lowered in 50 years! 

Big “No duh!” at the latest reports that pulling cough and cold medicines led to a significant drop in children’s ER visits resulting from bad reactions to the drugs.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which led the study, ER visits for children dropped by more than half–from 2,790 visits to 1,248–following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) warning against using the medication.

In 2007, manufacturers of cough and cold medicines voluntarily withdrew their products, mostly syrups, following complaints from pediatricians that the medications don’t work in young kids and posed a safety risk because of accidental overdoses causing extreme drowsiness, increased heart rate and even some deaths.

For the study, CDC researchers compared nonfatal ER visits in children younger than 2 with bad reactions to cough and cold medicines in the 14 months before the withdrawal and in the 14 months afterward.

On the down side, two-thirds of children’s ER visits, both before and after the withdrawal, resulted from children taking medications on their own.  It is likely due to parents having not thrown out old medications and possibly leaving them easily accessible.

According to one ER physician at Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital, Dr. Elizabeth Powell, many parents felt helpless following the removal of cough and cold meds from drugstore’s shelves.  Powell states that it is not uncommon for parents to bring babies with stuffy noses and other cold symptoms to the ER for help, but that there isn’t much that can done for them there.

Sigh…parents, let your kids fight off their colds on their own.  Can’t we just resist the temptation to save our kids from any and every discomfort they encounter?  Geez.  Try, at least.  This is where our parents had it wayyyyy above us–they didn’t have a crutch for every challenge thrown into their laps.  When we got sick–bed, soup, TV, mama–that was it.

Next time you find yourself jonesing for the Robitussin for junior, think back to the time when you were walking to school barefoot in the snow…uphill both ways.  That’ll remind you that you did just fine without cough and cold medicine.  Your kids’ will, too.  Promise.

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Most people think of chiropractic for pain relief, and it’s great for that; but chiropractic is also necessary to keep the nervous system functioning optimally. That’s why chiropractic adjustment for kids is essential.

It’s rare for children to experience chronic pain the way adults do, although it does happen. More important, though, is that children are in the developmental phase of growth, and as such they are establishing neural pathways that will shape their future experiences and, thus, their lives. Chiropractic adjustments can aid in that development so that they fight infection easier, handle bumps and bruises better, and experience growth and neurological wellness unimpeded.

The nervous system takes in and processes information from the environment around us. So pediatric chiropractic adjustments, then, allow the nervous system to do what it does best–recognize, analyze and create responses with no interference. Think that is useful for a developing child?

I’ve been receiving chiropractic adjustments since I was seven–thanks mom! And that’s exactly what I do for my children, too–provide them with healthy, optimally functioning nervous systems. If you and your children live the chiropractic lifestyle now–bravo! If not, try it–you’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain. It’s safe (watch the videos: those are my most precious treasures, my daughters), effective, and it FEELS GOOD!

Most everybody knows that I place a high importance of supplementing with vitamins. I think it’s pretty impossible for the average person to get the full amount of nutrients they need from food alone. It’s possible but unlikely.

So if I think adults need to take vitamins, do you think I feel it’s necessary for children, too? You bet I do; so I make sure my children take their daily vitamins as a supplement to their healthy diets. I like Jarrow Kids Multi because they taste good, and Jarrow products have exactly what their label says they do. They’ve been tested by a third party organization, so I know I’m giving my children the best.

If you want to make sure your children are getting the best nutrition possible, consider supplementing their healthy diets with vitamins. You’ll get to see them grow vibrantly into healthy and energetic little beings. That’s the greatest gift any parent can ask for.

Don’t let me say I told you so, but…

A recent study proves that we must be exposed to germs as kids or risk getting sicker as adults. Duh! Told you so.

This, oh-my-god-don’t-come-near-me-if-your-sick stuff is pointless, and detrimental in the long run. Consider getting sick as updating your computer virus scan–same idea. Check it:

A recent U.S. study that followed thousands of participants from birth (in the 1980s) to 22 years of age showed that although Filipino children were exposed to many more infectious diseases than their American counterparts, they had much less inflammation as adults. Inflammation was measured by the concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) which is an indicator of the body fighting off infection.

According to Thomas McDade, lead author of the study, “CRP concentrations are incredibly low in Filipinos compared to people in the United States and that was counter to what a lot of people would have anticipated because we know that Filipinos have higher exposure to infectious diseases.” The take home lesson, McDade stressed is the importance of being exposed early in life to common microbes and bacteria.

Why? Again, exposure to infectious agents updates the virus scan. Says McDade, “These bacteria and microbes may never result in outright clinical disease but they do play an important role in promoting the development of regulatory networks.”

I know, I know, dude…I’ve been telling them. You’ve got to get sick. It’s healthy, get it? Sick is health. I know it doesn’t make complete sense, but life is tricky. So is health. To be truly healthy, you’ve got to be sick sometimes. No biggie. Swine flu, bring it on. Rhinovirus, bring it on. Chicken pox, bring it on. Kids and adults have gotta be prepared.

Here goes another cool way to think about it: McDade, who has a two-and-a-half-year-old son, likened immune system development to the way Americans promote brain development in infants and toddlers by exposing them to “all sorts of cognitive and social stimuli. There’s rapid brain growth early in life and there are lots of neurological connections being formed, and you need to engage with your environment in order to promote those connections.”

So observe the ten-second-rule: Your kid drops food on the floor, you’ve got ten seconds, have Pumpkin pick it up and eat it. On second thought, drop the rule altogether–just let Pumpkin eat. It’s for her health.

Oh, and I told you so.

Encouraging news for parents of autistic children: The first rigorous study of behavior treatment in autistic children as young as 18 months found that two years of therapy can vastly improve symptoms, often resulting in a milder diagnosis. Although small (only 48 children), the study out of the University of Washington had such encouraging results that it has been extended to several other sites.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Children with autism might also have co-morbid disorders including intellectual impairment, seizures and anxiety. The parts of the brain involved in autism include the frontal lobes, amygdala and cerebellum.

The study showed that early autism treatment led to increased IQ and improved language skills. Almost 30 percent of the children receiving early treatment were re-diagnosed with a less severe form of autism after two years, versus 5 percent of the others. No children, however, were considered “cured.”

The study followed the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) of early autism treatment, a form of behavioral training that focuses on social interaction and communication, which are both difficult for many autistic children. Because ESDM believes that families should be at the helm of their childrens’ treatment, parents worked along with therapists in teaching coordinated, interactive social relations through rewarding social engagement and developing joint play activities designed to build skills and “fill in” learning deficits. If you are interested to learn more about ESDM, please visit their site here.

This is very good news for autistic children and their parents. Early autism treatment is not new–the Son-Rise home-based program has been around since the 1970s–but this is the first to show, empirically, behavioral treatment improving outcomes for autistic children. Autism is complicated by many factors including classification and which treatment option is best. This study at least moves the field of autism treatment a little closer to verifiable and reproducible results. Bravo!

Heads up parents: Maclaren USA Inc. is recalling about 1 million strollers sold in the U.S over the last decade following a dozen reports of children’s fingers being amputated when caught in the stroller’s hinges.

Maclaren announced a voluntary recall with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Monday.

The strollers, which were made in China, apparently severed twelve childrens’ fingertips as they were placed in the hinge apparatus. The amputations occurred as the strollers were being opened or closed and not while the children were sitting in the stroller. Nevertheless, the CPSP advises immediate discontinuation of any Maclaren stroller manufactured in 1999 or later.

The models affected by the recall include Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveler.

Get those kids in the sun, parents–one out of every five American children aged 1 to 11 is vitamin D deficient. Dang! And the numbers are worse for blacks and Hispanics. Almost 90% of African American children and 80% of Hispanic children could be vitamin D deficient. Double Dang! All this coming from a new analysis at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to many illnesses including infections, diabetes and even some cancers. Even the severity of asthma symptoms has been shown to be increased in children with low vitamin D levels. But the most common ailment attached to vitamin D deficiency is bone weakness, or rickets, common a century ago but still happening today with all to often frequency. D-D-D-Dang!

The RDA for treating and preventing rickets is 400 IU vitamin D daily, which can be obtained by drinking four glasses of fortified milk. Vitamin D can also be obtained from sun exposure, which unfortunately may be lacking in children residing in northern climates and those with darker skin tones. The explosion of computers and video games is also a risk factor for children that do not spend enough time outdoors. Further, many kids are not getting enough milk, cheese or fish–all good sources of vitamin D.

So what’s the answer? How about a good vitamin D supplement for junior? Can’t get them off the Madden 2010 and playing outdoors??? (many children found to be vitamin D deficient were also overweight or obese–D-D-D-Duh!). Then you’ve got to pick up a good supplement, period.

Then slap yourself across the noggin AND GET JUNIOR RUNNING OUTDOORS D-D-D-DANGIT! I mean, what’s the major malfunction??? It’s not rocket science: Kids need to be outdoors running, playing, wrestling, carousing, whatever–it’s the natural order of things. Video games–and that includes the Wiisorry–are for “sometimes“. That’s it, d-d-d-dagnamit! Vitamin D deficiency is no joke–don’t treat it like one.

Wow! Dramatic headline, yes? Dramatic but true: More than half a million children in the U.S. have bad reactions or side effects from widely used medicines that require medical treatment and sometimes hospitalization. Why? Because drugs are poisons, that’s why.

According to a new study appearing in the medical journal, Pediatrics, 585,922 children (on average) need to be treated for bad drug reactions every year. Rashes, stomach aches, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and accidental overdose are some of the side effects children can suffer. Parents are advised to monitor children closely when giving them medications for the first time. Younger children, under five, are the most commonly affected, accounting for 43 percent of visits to clinics and emergency rooms. Teenagers (15-18) are next at 23 percent of ER visits.

Some pushers, er…doctors, believe that it’s the parents’ fault, that they just don’t understand how to properly measure doses. Michael Cohen, a registered pharmacist and president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, said a common problem involves giving young children liquid medicine. Doses can come in drops, teaspoons or milliliters, and parents may mistakenly think those amounts are interchangeable. Uh…whatever.

First it’s the doctors’ and pharmacists’ responsibility to make sure the parent understands dosages. In my opinion, it is the height of arrogance to solely blame parents whom have never been to medical school and have probably passed on the opportunity to take basic pharmacology classes. Second, let’s face the facts: drugs are poisons, plain and simple.

This doesn’t mean drugs are evil or that they shouldn’t be taken–heck no! I’ve said it a million times in this blog, I am enormously grateful for having a multitude of drugs and medications in our arsenal; they are necessary under very specific circumstances. But here’s the problem: We are a drug-happy culture. We run to medications for everything under the sun, when in fact our bodies can and do heal most situations quite adequately.

Are parents at fault? Yes, because they maintain the mind-set that they must protect their child from any suffering whatsoever, remaining blind to the fact that symptoms ARE our bodies way of expressing health. But doctors are at fault, too, because they know better. All drugs are toxins, and every human being is different, so how any particular person responds to a drug will be different too. Doctors are educated–they have been to medical school, and they have taken basic pharmacology classes–so they could be a bit more discriminating in pushing the “all drugs all the time” approach that is typical in most medical offices.

Listen, this is not just a “parents have to be more careful” issue, although they certainly do in a different way. Adverse drug reactions are happening with the same frequency in hospitals. 540,000 hospitalized children have bad drug reactions, including side effects, medicine mix-ups and accidental overdoses every year. Read the article. Drugs are useful and necessary in times of crisis. But if you are giving your child medications for every cough, sniffle or feeling of discomfort (and this includes “sadness”), then you are responsible if something goes wrong, because well…now you know.

Want a developmentally-stunted child? Then keep the TV on. Want to be a mentally-absent parent? Again, keep the boob tube running constantly. In fact, if you want to hinder your child’s development to the utmost, then just put the kid in a playpen, leave the TV on, and do your thing, baby. That’s the way.

Damn, that’s hard Campos. No it’s not. The data is out and it’s conclusive: TV makes people stupid!!! Sorry.

Here’s the latest: A team at the University of Massachusetts observed about 50 children, aged 1, 2 and 3 years, who were with a parent at a university child study center. For half of a one-hour session, parents and children were in a playroom without a television; in the other half-hour, parents chose a program to watch.

The researchers studied how much verbal interaction there was between parents and children, whether parents were actively involved in their children’s play, and whether they responded to each other’s questions and suggestions.

The study authors found that while the TV was on, parents spent about 20 percent less time talking to their children and were less active, attentive and responsive to their kids, resulting in a decrease in the quality of the interactions.

This study is important, researchers say, since more than one-third of American infants and toddlers live in homes where the television is on most or all the time, even if no one’s watching. This study challenges the popular notion that television doesn’t affect young children if they are not watching the screen. Wrong! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that parental interaction is imperative in child development. And this study just reinforces how television pulls parents’ attention away from where it is needed the most–the children. So turn off The View ladies (and ESPN, gents), and keep your attention on the kids–they deserve it!

*More info on how TV affects your child.

Here we go again: The numbers of teenagers overdosing on ADHD drugs has risen 76% over the last eight years. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that the number of calls for all cases of ADHD drug misuse involving 13- to 19-year-olds went from 317 calls per year in 1998 to 581 in 2005. Holy moley! Is anyone else disturbed by this as much as I am?

I report in my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, that Ritalin and other ADHD drugs are some of the most commonly abused among teens. ADHD drugs are classified as Schedule 2 along with opium, morphine, cocaine, methadone and methamphetamine–that is, they have some medicinal purpose but are highly addictive and have a high potential for abuse. Ritalin and the other ADHD drugs (Adderall and Vyvanse) are the only schedule 2’s that can be obtained through a prescription. See the problem yet?

ADHD drugs are a form of amphetamines (schedule 3 drugs, which have less potential for abuse and dependency than schedule 2’s), yet they have been classified as even more dangerous than the amphetamines. 8-12% of all American children are diagnosed with ADHD. Sales for ADHD drugs totaled about $4.8 billion in 2008, according to data from IMS Health. Do you see the problem yet?

Although the history of ADHD is long in development, it was not classified as a medical disorder until 1987. And then in 1996 the first medication to treat this new medical disorder, Adderal, was approved by the FDA. Now do you see it?..now?..now?

Amphetamines cause abuse, dependence, addiction, tolerance, and overdose. They are illegal to posses in the general public without a prescription for just these reasons, yet Americans are willfully feeding it to their children because some crack science says it’s good for them. Kids that have overactive minds and personalities are tagged with some BS label called ADHD, and their parents are told, “if left untreated, the persistent and pervasive effects of ADHD symptoms can insidiously and severely interfere with one’s ability to get the most out of education, fulfill one’s potential in the workplace, establish and maintain interpersonal relationships, and maintain a generally positive sense of self.” And the kids are given speed. And 581 are ODing every year. Are you seeing the problem yet?

Those of you that really think the American health care crisis has to do with medical insurance should pull your heads out of your asses.

Yup, I adjust my children. Children need chiropractic, too. Keeps them healthy and functioning properly. Subluxations cause nerve dysfunction and dysregulation, so adjusted children function at their highest capacity and potential.

Delilah fell down the stairs Wednesday–did her best Chevy Chase tumbling impression. Three year olds are pliable and rubbery, so she’s okay. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t recommend it, but…well, it happens. Thursday my wife brought her by the office for an adjustment. Check out the pics and you be the judge. Violet got her’s too!

If you’ve got kids, the best thing you can do is get them started on chiropractic care early. Just saw a beautiful 16-week-old boy, Conner, in my office today. He wasn’t all too pleased with my hands on him, but it’s important to get him used to it now. Once he begins doing his own stair stunts, he’ll be primed and ready for his after-tumble adjustments.

So visit your local chiropractic office today (if you are in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills or West Hollywood, I’m your chiropractor) and get yourself and your children adjusted. It’s great for you and incredible for them. Believe me–my family’s living it!

India’s health minister has an answer to universal health care–it’s called universal yoga. That’s right, the top-dog in the Indian health policy wants all schoolchildren to practice real health care. He wants them doing asanas. Nice. And the rational is that yoga helps prevent conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Now that’s progressive.

Anbumani Ramadoss, the current Indian health minister, said he would make yoga mandatory for all school-going children, “There should be extensive scientific deliberations on yoga,” he said, “And today I blatantly put that yoga reduces diabetes, yoga reduces hypertension, yoga reduces stress.” True, true, but not all parties agree. The Muslim Malaysian Council or Malaysia’s National Fatwa Council, has sparked protests claiming yoga will steer people away from the religion, causing them to use Hindu prayers, which are considered blasphemous. As a result, the council has put out an edict (fatwa) against practicing yoga. The council also outlaws “gay sex” and women wearing trousers. Holy moly…how primitive.

Well, the religious controversy aside, I think this is one good policy. I’m usually against mandates, but if you’re going to have one, make it yogic. The Indian government could probably do just as well by making it a part of the school curriculum. This will help in a country where diabetes rates are highest in the world–41 million cases in 2007 and counting, and estimates hitting 70 million by 2025, according to the International Diabetes Federation.

Ah, the perils of modernization. Sometimes it’s good to get back to one’s roots–especially when those roots are so good for the body, mind and spirit. Maybe we can take a page out of that health book here in the U.S., and add that to our promised universal health care plan. At least the addition of state supported yoga might actually make a difference.

*Want to know how to do some basic asanas (yoga postures)? Check out this great yoga site here.

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