Healthy Kids. Addressing ADD/ADHD, Depression and Obesity

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1 Healthy Kids Addressing ADD/ADHD, Depression and Obesity

2 Problem 1: ADD/ADHD 3 Key Signs Inattention Easily distracted; does not pay attention or follow directions; avoids or dislikes sitting still or making a sustained effort at a task or problem Hyperactivity Always moving; talks excessively Impulsiveness Difficulty waiting; often interrupts, blurts out answers before the question is asked

3 The Positive Side of ADHD Some characteristics associated with ADHD: High amounts of energy Creative thinking outside the box Adventurous high levels of courage and confidence Adapt well to changing circumstances Might miss the details but excel at seeing the big picture

4 The Business Person s Superpower People with ADHD are 300%more likely to start their own business A few examples: Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Airlines. John T. Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems. Ingvar Kamprad, Swedish founder and chairman of IKEA stores. David Neelemanfounder and CEO of Jet Blue Airways. Paul Orfalea the founder and chairperson of Kinko s. Charles Schwabthe founder, chairperson, and CEO of the Charles Schwab Corporation, the largest brokerage firm in the U.S.

5 Is this really a problem? Is ADD/ADHD a medical disease? Many experts think no Not all personalities thrive in the same environment 40% of kids diagnosed with ADHD were referred by teachers Requirements of modern life, especially school sitting still, paying attention to things that may not be of interest, and recalling details are very different than life as a farmer or even a hunter/gatherer

6 An American Epidemic? From 2002 to 2010, the use of ADHD drugs grew by 46 percent. Every year doctors write 21 million prescriptions for Ritalin, Adderall, and other focus medications

7 Where are all these drugs going? Kids who dohave focus problems and need help paying attention in school Teenagers who DON T have ADHD fake the symptoms to get Ritalin or Adderall for themselves or to sell to others believe it gives them better focus and more energy to study or take exams These kids feel pressured to get high grades and admittance to prestigious universities

8 Long term use of Ritalin and other stimulant drugs A paper published in 2000 found that Ritalin prescription for preschoolers (ages 2-4) had jumped by 300% from A 2006 paper reported that Ritalin did not work as well for kids age 3-5 as older kids, and they had more adverse effects (appetite loss, weight loss, sleep difficulty, stomach aches, and head aches) The effect of long-term use of stimulants on developing brains is unknown! We do know that Ritalin stunts children s growth after taking Ritalin for three years, kids are 1 inch shorter and almost 5 pounds lighter than their peers

9 Problem 2: Depression ADHD and Depression are often linked in children Some studies estimate depression occurs in as many as 60% of ADHD kids Sometimes ADHD is diagnosed when the actual problem is depression Kids with depression are often more irritable and inattentive than sad Other symptoms of depression in children: Social withdrawal and sensitivity to rejection Vocal outbursts or crying Fatigue or low energy Changes in appetite increased or decreased Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

10 The Use of Antidepressants Number of Americans using anti-depressants has doubled in the last decade Curiously, advertising for antidepressant medications quadrupled during that same period, from $32 million to $122 million annually Antidepressants use in children fell in 2004 after FDA released Black Box warning about suicide, but is still much higher than a decade ago

11 Antidepressants, Suicide and Children Suicide rate for children and teens taking any antidepressant is 5 times higher than the general population FDA has a Black Box the most serious type of warning on antidepressants, noting the increased risk of suicidal thinking and potential to commit suicide Other adverse effects of antidepressants in children: weight gain and a sedative effect, as well as nausea, anxiety and nervousness, and insomnia Some children experience mania extreme enthusiasm and overactivity

12 Problem 3: Childhood Obesity Obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in the United States -triplethe rate from just one generation ago. In all, 30% of children are overweight or obese DID YOU KNOW? The Robert Wood Johnson foundation spends $100 million in an entire year on grants for researchers studying childhood obesity The food industry spends $100 million dollars by January 4, marketing junk food just to children

13 Consequences of Childhood Obesity Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to Have risk factors for heart disease (70% of overweight kids have at least one risk factor for heart disease) Have pre-diabetes the rate of pre-diabetes in teens has doubled in recent years 25% of overweight preschoolers have impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes) Have bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and poor self esteem Be overweight adults

14 What kids eat today American children now get about 46% of their total vegetable consumption in the form of fried potatoes Juice makes up about 40% of a typical children s fruit intake 88% of children don t get the minimum recommended intake of fruit; 92% don t get enough vegetables The typical teenage boy in the United States now gets about 10% of his daily calories from soda.

15 Natural Interventions for Focus Problems, Depression and Obesity: Diet Research is finding a strong connection between gluten sensitivity (celiac disease) and ADHD In one study, 15% of ADHD kids also had celiac Changing to a gluten-free diet significantly reduced ADHD symptoms Dairy-free diet is less well studied, but one theory is that kids with ADHD have a problem digesting certain proteins, which accumulate in the brain and cause ADHD symptoms One small study found significant improvement in kids with ADHD who followed a strict no dairy diet

16 ADHD and Food Allergies A 2011 study found that a restrictive diet to eliminate previously unknown food allergies or sensitivities decreased hyperactivity When the problem foods were reintroduced in a challenge test, 63% of the kids had a relapse in their ADHD symptoms In a separate study by the same researchers, they found that using an elimination diet (removing any problematic foods) reduced ADHD symptoms by almost 70% Researchers noted that in children, allergic reactions to food can cause symptoms very similar to ADHD

17 Processed Foods People eating a diet high in processed foods have a 58% increased risk of depression when compared to people eating a primarily whole food diet Processed = high in refined sugar and flour Australian researchers linked diets high in sugar and processed foods to higher rates of ADHD Processed foods high in sugar, high fructose corn syrup and chemicals leads to obesity

18 Feed Their Body Skip the pre-made lunch foods full of processed meats and simple carbs Whole grain breads Vegetables like carrot sticks with hummus or natural peanut butter as a dip (Kids love DIPPING) Most kids love fruit give them oranges, apples, grapes, or raisins Give them protein for breakfast!

19 Feed Their Brain Depression and ADHD have been linked to low levels of omega-3 fatty acids Americans have imbalanced omega-3 and omega-6 levels Both are necessary, but most American consume 15 to 20 times (or more) omega-6 than omega-3 Supplementing with additional omega fatty acids has been shown to reduce ADHD symptoms and improve academic performance In a randomized, controlled trial, supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a 50% reduction in depression symptoms

20 Other Tips for Raising Healthy Kids Breastfeed your baby if you can A recent study found that infants breastfed for six months or more were 36 per cent less likely to be overweight and 49 per cent less likely to be obese at 16, compared with those who were not breastfed. Say no to juice boxes Liquid sugar more sugar on an equal serving size basis than soda Organic whole milk (goat s milk) or water and a piece of fruit instead Get a Dog or Cat Kids with a dog or cat have fewer respiratory infections and used fewer antibiotics Living with a dog from infancy reduces risk of childhood asthma Pets are good for our mental health

21 More tips Avoid Antibiotics for the common cold and other viral infections! 23% of kids visiting a pediatrician will leave with an antibiotic even if they have an ear infection, cold, or other viral infection for which antibiotics are USELESS! Antibiotics have side effects and over use leads to antibiotic resistance Invest in Organic food If you can t go entirely organic, start with organic versions of the dirty dozen Apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines and grapes, sweet bell peppers and blueberries, lettuce, kale. Potato is also on the dirty dozen but avoid all white potato completely!