Antidepressants for Every Man, Woman & Child

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? Oh...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 prescription drug taken 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.

Hate to be the One that Tells You, but...

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.

Parents Are Responsible for Child's Weight

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 to make it 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, and everything else in between; it just comes down to one's habits in determining where one will weigh 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.

Pediatric Window Diving Precautions

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.

ADHD Industry Staying Relevant & Sustainable (Part 2)

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.

A Bigger, Badder Sociopath

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.

Child CPR: Learn Now or Regret Later

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 Facebook.  Duh!

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.

Brain Training Promising for Tourette's

To be sure, everything has an upside.  Take Tourette syndrome: A recent study has shown that children with the neurological tic disorder perform better on cognitive motor control tests than children without the disorder.  You don't say?  Yes, the children with Tourette's showed less impulsivity of movements and greater cognitive control--that is, they were less likely to act without thinking.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics.  The first symptoms of TS are almost always noticed in childhood.  Some of the more common tics include eye blinking and other vision irregularities, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking.  Perhaps the most dramatic and disabling tics are those that result in self-harm such as punching oneself in the face, or vocal tics including coprolalia (uttering swear words) or echolalia (repeating the words or phrases of others).

Researchers believe that the enhanced motor control stems from structural and functional brain changes that likely result from the need to constantly suppress tics.  According to one of the study's authors, Stephen Jackson of the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, MRI exams confirmed that the "Tourette's brain" showed changes in the white-matter connections that allowed different brain areas to communicate with each another.

Pretty amazing how the human brain compensates for disruptions in one area by tightening up the function of another.  If you can't see the benefit of increased cognitive motor control, then you can't see the downside to Tourette's either, because they are two sides of the same coin.  Anybody that knows human physiology knows that the body will do what it needs to survive.  An anastomosis is a connection of blood vessels serving as backup routes for blood to flow if one link is blocked or otherwise compromised.  The body does this all the time, and I see the connections here in this recent Tourette's study.

The researchers believe that the significance of these findings is that it may help explain why some people with TS who have profound tics during childhood are relatively tic-free by early adulthood, while others continue to have severe tics throughout their life.  They also point out the potential benefits from "brain training" techniques that help people with TS gain control of their symptoms.

Absolutely.  From what we know about neuroplasticity, along with these findings, it seems reasonable that new pathways can be created, benefiting people with TS.  My feeling is that will be seeing more therapeutic work involving brain training not just with Tourette's but with other neurological disorders, like autism, in the near future.

Govt. Acknowledges Dangerous Levels of Fluoride in Drinking Water

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.

No Dumb Kids

Last post I described a phone conversation between me and a fifteen-year-old boy that called asking about ADD drugs.  When I explained to him how drugs like Ritalin and Concerta are essentially speed he asked what he could take as an alternative.  I said it depends on what the person you are asking believes about the label "ADHD."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, for instance, some people, myself included, don't really believe that ADHD, as it's defined, is a disorder.  The inability to concentrate, being disruptive in class, or any of those other things that irritate teachers are characteristics we all have when we aren't inspired by something.  It just tells me that the kid labeled as ADHD isn't inspired in school.  That says a lot more about teachers than children in my book."

"Well, I'm just bored in school."

"Exactly.  But I'll bet there are things you do that you have no problems concentrating on.  What do you like to do?  What do you love?"

"Sports."

"What do you play."

"Football...and baseball."

"What's your position in football?"

"Defensive end."

"So when the ball is snapped, and you're going after that quarterback, ready to crush his skull...are you thinking about something else?"

"Ha ha...no."

"So you don't have ADD when you're playing sports."

"No, I guess not."

"Everybody has ADD when they are forced to do something they are uninspired by.  When you are in school, you are likely uninspired.  Unfortunately for you, you've got to go to school until you are eighteen--that's the law.  In the meantime, find what you love and do it.  And when you are old enough to make your own life decisions, do what you love, and do it well.  You'll be more fulfilled that way."

He got it.  I don't believe there are any dumb children.  But I do believe that there are plenty uninspiring teachers out there.  Maybe they'd be better labeled babysitters, because if they are not inspiring every one of their students, then they are failing as teachers.  In my opinion, teaching is finding what the student loves and showing them how the subject matter relates to what they love.  Give me a room full of football players and I will teach them every math concept under the sun.  All it takes is teacher creativity.  But we all know that's lacking in our schools...we've all been there.

That wasn't my experience in college, however.  I was so lucky to have outstanding and highly creative professors.  My college algebra teacher was a comedian and a genius.  Nobody finished that class without a basic understanding of math and a hell of a lot of laughs.

Just watch the movie, Stand and Deliver, to understand what I'm talking about.  Teacher Jaime Escalante, "is able to win over the attention of the students by implementing innovative teaching techniques, using props and humor to illustrate abstract concepts of math and convey the necessity of math in everyday lives." ~ from Wikipedia

No, I'm not buying into ADHD one iota.  Find what inspires a kid, nurture it, and use that to teach them academic concepts, and that kid will thrive.  Giving them doctor-prescribed speed drugs is a cop out.

Flip Side of Obesity

Want to know the flip side to our current obesity obsession?  Increased hospitalization for eating disorders...in children!  That's right, the more society bashes the overweight, the greater the fear instilled in kids.  Heavens forbid they might turn out to be...big, fat, obese.  Scourges of society they'll be--the press'll beat 'em, the public'll beat 'em, you'll beat 'em...and forget about what their school mates might do.  Sheesh.

A new American Academy of Pediatrics report shows that among children younger than 12 with eating disorders, hospitalizations surged 119% between 1999 and 2006.  This at the same time hospitalizations for eating disorders among all age groups increased 15%.


I'm not surprised as the focus on fatness--in the negative--must scare the appetite out of plenty of kids.  Being inundated with pictures of emaciated models, and seeing how skinny starlets are pedastalized in magazines and on television, while normal sized ones are denigrated for being "big" would lead any kid with a normal-sized ego to an ex-lax habit.

Quite honestly, I'm much more disturbed by anorexia and bulimia than I am about obesity.  Seems to me that although one might lead to a slew health problems, the other is a death wish, quick and to the point.  Nevertheless, one extreme must live with the other, and so I don't doubt we'll be seeing a steady rise in eating disorders (and subsequent hospitalizations) in the near future.

ER Visits Down Following Children's Cold Medicine Removal

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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Chronic Constipation in Children on Rise

Too many kids are having to be treated for chronic constipation.  Gastroenterologists at Johns Hopkins Children's Center report a 30% rise in these cases from 2008-2009, leading the center to open a new clinic to provide medical and behavioral therapy for children with the condition.

Constipation in children can be from poor diet and lack of activity, but the most likely cause, particularly as it relates to the current increases, is drinking too little water.  As I have pointed out previously in this blog, proper water intake is important for a multitude of metabolic processes, one being digestion and elimination.  Remember, the human body is highly intelligent; provide it with insufficient material and it will shunt what it needs, taking from one area to give to another.  Take in too little water and watch your body steal from your colon to give to other, more vital, regions.

Why are children not drinking enough water?  Gotta ask the parents.  But one thing I know for sure, being one of the most soda-consuming nations, the U.S. has plenty of children that get their fluids from liquid sugar.  Oh well.  Gotta wise up, folks; there's always a price to pay.  Drink soda, your kid will drink soda.  Your kid drinks soda, he or she will probably bypass drinking water.  Bypass drinking water, say hello to constipation.  Cause, effect.  Your choice.

Signs of constipation in children is very often missed by parents, and it can lead to a severe or chronic case.  Things to look for are abdominal bloating and a feeling of fullness; straining with bowel movements; lumpy or hard stools and/or small pellet-like stools, accompanied by a feeling of incomplete emptying of the bowels.  Children with serious constipation may also refuse to go to the toilet for fear it will hurt; they may hide to go in a private place, or experience underwear soiling and bedwetting.  Knowing these signs can help you figure out if your child is suffering.

Finally, make sure your kid is drinking plenty of water.  Dump the soda (for yourself, too) and make water your drink of choice.  Or deal with chronic constipation if that's what you'd prefer.

No Flu Shot? You're Stupid!

More stupidity coming out of the flu shot camp this year.  Same old propaganda.  Here's the deal according to experts: You're an idiot if you don't get the flu shot.  All your reservations against getting the flu shot are false.  Not one thing you think negatively about the flu shot is proven, but get this...the flu shot is based on sound evidence.  Har, har, har.  Sounds like today's best political style--if they disagree, denigrate them.

According to a recent report, many Americans are planning to bypass the flu shot this year.  A survey conducted by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) found that 43% of Americans will not be getting a flu shot this season.  Additionally, a second study found that one-third of American mothers said they have no plans to get a flu shot for their children.  Booyah!

I love it.  But the medical establishment doesn't.  They've been ramming the flu shot malarkey down our throats for years, and they are WRONG!  Wrong.  I've been reporting on this sham for the last four years.  Every year they say the same thing.  2007 saw record flu shots given, yet the incidences of flu were off the charts.  The shot gave little protection that year.  In 2008, people kept away from the bull shot.  Guess what?  Flu cases went down!  Get it?

I've said this before, getting the flu strains right* in any particular year is very much like predicting the weather--it's a crap shoot.  It's freakin' bogus.  But what really offends me is the arrogance by which the establishment belittles people who see this and choose not to swallow the BS being fed to them.

"Flu is serious. Every year millions of people get sick; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and thousands of people die from influenza," Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yes, sick people, unhealthy people, immunocompromised people and malnourished children.  My children have had the flu every year--they're alive.  God bless their immune systems.  If you want a flu shot--go get one; it's available.  We'll pass, though, thank you.  Are we stupid?  OK, I'll take that under consideration.

Flu expert Dr. Marc Siegel believes that many people who opt not to get a flu shot are falling prey to myths about the vaccine. "It's all because of this nonsense that's been circulating that somehow the flu shot is dangerous."

No doctor, listen up: It's because the seasonal flu shot is bogus.  Plain and simple.  Wake up.

And his thoughts on the belief of some people that hand-washing helps prevent spread of the flu: "The idea that you are not going to spread the flu by washing your hands has never been proven," Siegal noted.

And the sham that getting a flu shot prevents the flu has not only never been proven, it fails to do so many years--think 2007-2008.

I'll keep reporting on this nonsense every year until the numbers of rejecters reaches high eighty percent.  Until then, hats off dissenters.  Glad you recognize the agenda.

* This year's shot will contain the H1N1 strain...the same one they had to burn last season because nobody wanted.  Guess they found use for it.  How does it feel to be part of a massive public health experiment?

American Kids, Water Deficient

Yo kid, whatcha drinkin'?  Not water, that's for sure.  A recent study to be published in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that children in the U.S. are drinking far too little water.  Since water makes up the bulk of the human body weight, getting sufficient amounts is vital.  And since we can't store water for the long term, running on a water deficiency can wreak havoc on the health.

According to the study conducted by the Queens College of the City University of New York and the U.S. National Cancer Institute, American children drink far less than the minimum amount of water recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine.  The study looked at the water intake of 3,978 boys and girls, aged 2 to 19 years, who had been included in a national nutrition study from 2005 to 2006.  They found that only 15-60% of boys and 10-54% of girls, depending on age, drink enough water.  Instead, children are primarily drinking...yup, you guessed it, sugary drinks like sodas.

The study found that most kids drank sweetened beverages with meals and not plain water.  Yecchh!  And girls overall drank less water than boys.  The good news is that as children age, they start to drink a bit more water, but not enough to preserve good health.  Let's go over some points on the importance of proper hydration:

• Human beings cannot live without water for a few days
• We lose approximately two liters of water per day through sweat, urine, tears, saliva and the breath, among other processes
• Caffeinated drinks--sodas, iced tea, coffee drinks--are diuretics, which make us urinate more, thus increasing the need for water
• Insufficient water levels lead to 
• fatigue
• increased hunger
• muscle weakness
• headaches
• dry mouth
• heat stroke and other maladies

Furthermore, high consumption of sugary drinks leads to...yes, right again, obesity (along with other illnesses like diabetes).  And you heard childhood obesity is due to the common cold virus, now, didn't you?

Listen, adults in the U.S. aren't doing much better.  Sodas are still the number one consumed beverage in America.  And kids learn from their parents, so if you are a soda junkie, don't expect less from junior.

Simple solution: stop buying soda! if you have younguns at home, don't give them any of that crap, period.  My girls have never tasted a soda in their lives, and they won't ever in our house.  Yes, I'm on a soapbox on this one, and I'm not getting off anytime soon.  That garbage is killing people, and I'll keep screaming it till people listen.

Water is the elixir of life, and if you or your child are not getting enough, then you're playing with fire.  Play with water instead, give your kids good ol' H2O to drink and watch them flourish.  It's in your hands parents--do the right thing.

Childrens' Prescription Pill Poisonings

Well surprise, surprise--pills in the medicine cabinet pose a greater threat to children than household cleaners.  This from a recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report stating that two out of every three children showing up at emergency rooms for poisoning were due to ingesting prescription drugs.  And you thought those orange canisters were child proof.

Poisonings being the number one health hazard for children makes it prudent to know which household items are causing the greatest harm.  Medications by far lead the pack--they are twice as likely to cause pediatric poisoning as cleaning substances, pesticides, personal care products and other toxic household substances.

Says Jay L. Schauben, a pharmacist and director of the Florida Poison Information Center in Jacksonville, Florida,

"Normally what occurs when someone is taking medicine on a chronic basis, they'll leave it out.  Any pills left out are within the grasp and reach of a child. Some of the medicine can look like candy. Some of the cough syrups are flavored and taste good. You can sort of see how that would be a disaster waiting to happen.

The drugs children most often overdose on are over-the-counter (OTC) medications, with 10% of all poisonings in children under five coming from common analgesics like Tylenol or Motrin.  Don't forget that very young children put things in their mouths all the time--they are sampling their environment.  When common OTC meds are left out, children will likely want to try them.  Further, when hosting guests, always remember that they might be on medications, too, so keep an eye out for meds left out in guest bathroom.

Fortunately, not all kids that swallow pills overdose: only 26 deaths from 1.3 million poisonings in children 5 or younger were reported in 2008.

The best thing parents can do if they suspect medication poisoning, experts say, is to first call the Poison Help hotline: 800-222-1222. That number will connect them to the Poison Control Center nearest them.

"The only time you want to call 911 first is if the child is unarousable, the child is having difficulty breathing or the child is having convulsions or seizures," Schauben said.

According to another expert, "More than 95 percent of the time, a child will be able to stay at home.  I don't think just because a child got into something, the parents should automatically pack them into the car and take them to the emergency room. We can determine who needs to go to an ER or not."

Once again,

Poison Help hotline: 800-222-1222.

CAT Scan Fever

To radiate or not to radiate, that should be the question all doctors ask continuously.  Unfortunately, the explosion of higher-sensitivity diagnostic imaging has some patients asking for them by name, a dangerous scenario as CT (CAT) scans are being implicated in increased cancer risk.

I have had my Los Angeles chiropractic patients ask me (more like passively demand) for an advanced imaging study, despite it being unnecessary.  Why?  Because doctors have been pushing them in the same manner they've been pushing antidepressants, statins and other drugs.  When doctors order CT scans and MRIs for every patient coming in with an ache or pain, regardless of how small, the public will start to think advanced imaging is a medical necessity.  Often it isn't.  Here's the skinny:

An article just published in the New England Journal of Medicine, discloses that X-ray computed tomography (CT) is being overused by doctors, and this overuse is leading to increased medical mistakes as well as increased cancer risk.  CT scans generate three-dimensional images of the inside of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation.  CT scans use far more radiation than traditional x-rays, and their use has increased dramatically over the last two decades--for example, approximately 72 million scans were performed in the United States in 2007.  According to the report, 10% of the U.S. population gets CT scans every year, and that number is growing by more than 10% every year.

Increased CT scans is a concern not only because of the heightened cancer risk, but also because one of the main groups getting this type of mega-radiation is children.  The lifetime cancer risk for children receiving CT scans in non-negligible.  To put this into perspective:

In the United States, of approximately 600,000 abdominal and head CT examinations annually performed in children under the age of 15 years, a rough estimate is that 500 of these individuals might ultimately die from cancer attributable to the CT radiation. (via Wikipedia)

The good news is that the FDA and Congress are considering measures to prevent medical mistakes.  However, discretionary use is still in the hands of doctors, and I imagine the overuse of CT scans will continue as long as the fear of liability continues to loom over doctors' heads. 

Although MRIs use no radiation, their overuse is also epidemic.  I am of the opinion that this is one reason medical costs are out of control.  You can give every American double the health coverage, if doctors don't stop using these imaging techniques indiscriminately, costs will continue to soar.

The way I handle unnecessary MRI requests is to explain that diagnostics should guide treatment.  For the most part, if knowing whether a spinal disk bulge is present radiologically will not change my treatment protocol (and it rarely does), then the study is unnecessary.  I simply remind the patient that MRIs are not cheap--they run around a couple thousand dollars--and even with the best insurance, the patient is responsible for the co-payment, which will be several hundred dollars.

You still want it, even though it's not going to change anything we do here?

Yes. 

Be my guest.  Here's your scrip.  Have fun.

Some people just can't be convinced; but I'm hoping the fear of developing cancer from unnecessary CT scans wises people up.  We'll see.