My 2 Bits » childrens health issues

Another Study on Childhood Nutrition That Belongs in the “Duh” File

admin — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:36:25 +0000

As a chiropractor who has been practicing a natural, non-invasive health approach for over 25 years, I find that plenty of “medical research discoveries” belong in my “Duh” file, if not my circular file! As a case in point, according to one recent finding by U.S. researchers, most preschool children develop a taste for salt, sugar and fat at home, and quickly learn which types of brand-name fast foods and sodas meet these preferences. Duh, you think? Where does any child learn what and how much to eat?…at home. How early do they learn it?…immediately. From the first decision a mother makes as to whether or not to breast feed her baby, to the quality and quantity of the baby food she provides, a mother (or equivalent caregiver) teaches the child about “taste.”

With fast foods so prevalent, and additives adulterating many products, and parents (or caregivers) often choosing convenience or “price value” over “food value,” is it any wonder that children, aged 3 to 5, prefer foods high in sugar, fat and salt? And, with kids watching TV commercials that make “bad food” look not only good, but “fun,” is it any wonder that preschool children exhibited an emerging awareness of brands of fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages.

“Parents need to carefully consider the types of foods they give to young children at home and in restaurants,” said study co-author T. Bettina Cornwell, a professor of marketing at the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business. Duh!

Technorati Tags: childrens health research, fast food, fats in diets of children, new study food preferences of children, salt, sugar

Unhealthy Cheap Trinkets Turn Up Where You’d Least Expect Them To

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:16:31 +0000

Enough, already, with using cheap trinkets to “reward” children for doing what they’re asked to do — from behaving in the doctor’s office to polishing off that last fatty french fry in their Happy Meal, especially when the cheap stuff offered to children to manipulate their behavior is found to have high levels of cadmium. This toxic metal is showing up more and more in trinkets distributed to children, and sadly Federal regulators have discovered that doctors and dentists offices are as guilty as a fast food restaurant in this unhealthy practice. Now, as a chiropractor who is treats both young and old, alike, I’m well aware that the staff in my chiropractic clinic frequently must not only help the injured and infirm to get comfortable prior to their adjustment, they also find themselves “entertaining” children who are either waiting for their own adjustment or waiting for a parent. And, I know my staff is often “inspired” to reward good behavior whether it’s a feisty senior who’s making the effort or a sleepy youngster. So, when it appears that “being good” doesn’t come close enough to being its own reward, my staff offers a healthy treat to children (and to some grownups when needed).

Our treats, however, are not cheap trinkets, though they are not expensive either. We purchase “lollipops” in bulk from the local health food store and small, inexpensive fitness items like stress balls. That’s why when the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced yesterday the recall of almost 70,000 charm bracelet and rings (for the fourth time this year!), we didn’t have to rush to our storage cabinet to pull carcinogenic items from our shelves. The items in this particular recall batch were distributed at doctor and dentist offices nationwide between June 2005 and March 2010.

Let’s face it, not everything “natural” is good for humans to ingest. Cadmium is a naturally occurring metal but it’s not harmless. As a chiropractor I find it especially disturbing that cadmium, if ingested, can weaken bones and kidneys. Federal regulators were justifiably concerned that small children could be exposed if they were bite and suck on these cadmium-laced trinkets. Any adult who’s been around children knows that almost everything that is put into a child’s hand ends up in a child’s mouth. Health care providers can’t claim ignorance of this universal fact.

I can remember getting a toy from my dentist when I was a kid, but “back in the day” those trinkets, made of plastic, rubber, and even wax, were relatively benign. Today with cheap imports and little regulation, more care needs to be taken by parents and definitely by healthcare providers!

Technorati Tags: cadmium, children's health, children's toys, chiropractor, doctors and dentists, toxic metal

Did J&J Put Children’s Health Below the Bottom Line?

admin — Wed, 05 May 2010 23:18:15 +0000

As a parent, a chiropractor, and simply as a human being, I don’t know whether to be saddened or outraged by the need for a recall of 40 varieties of Johnson & Johnson children’s cold medicines due to bacteria contamination. I suppose that I am both; saddened by the fact that a U.S. maker of medicine for children, for children for crying out loud, lacked a conscience with regard to the safety and health of children, and outraged because such oversight likely had to do with the financial bottom line.

The FDA report lists more than 20 manufacturing problems found at the McNeil Consumer Healthcare plant in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, where the formulas were made. FDA inspectors said the company did not have laboratory facilities to test drug ingredients and failed to follow up on 46 customer complaints (of foreign substances “black or dark specks” in the Tylenol products!). Some of the recalled medicines may have a higher concentration of the active ingredient than listed on the bottle, while still others may contain inactive ingredients that do not meet required standards. In addition to what was “inside” the medicines, inspectors also found pieces of equipment that were covered with thick layers of dust, and others that were held together with duct tape.

Shame on Johnson & Johnson, who has been a trusted name in caring for children. It’s like finding out the Mother Goose is really a gander.

Technorati Tags: children's cold medicines, childrens safety and health, Johnson & Johnson