Let's Stop Poisoning Our Children! They Will Not Thank Us For It In the Future.
Posted: Sunday, August 19, 2007
by LeahG Artist
Cartoon & Illustration Services
I have written an article on the dangers of labelling children with particular regard to behavioural problems that are being referred to as mental health disorders such as ADD. http://searchwarp.com/swa243079.htm
The article prompted some controversy and so I am writing this article to merely present supporting data which demonstrates that WE as a society are responsible for many of the illnesses' not just behavioural ones which our children are today suffering from.
Never considering the cause removes responsibility and allows us to deny we are harming our own children. What we need to do is be more pro-active and take steps to prevent it from happening. This problem will get worse and not only affect your own children but your grandchildren's children - if they are not all infertile by then!
We are poisoning our children via pollution, electrical exposure, chemical use and poor diet, which includes additives that are unsafe.
We did not grow up in this environment ourselves, our world was not as polluted as it is today with electricity, chemicals, toxins, gases, dietary changes etc. The huge increase in childhood ailments and allergies and even deaths can largely be related back to the fact 'we are poisoning our children'.
Will they thank us for it?
There are vast bodies of evidence that inform about these problems, a quick Google on ' are we poisoning our children?' will reveal pages and pages of data and evidence and also articles asking WHY the government is not doing anything about it, when they KNOW what they are doing.
In answer to those that report a lack of scientific evidence that food additives are harmful, it is important to note that there is little or no evidence that these additives are SAFE, most of them have not been tested for their combined effects or long terms effects. Ask yourself is it necessary and sensible to eat untested additives when we do not even need them. There are natural alternatives.
How do we stop poisoning our children though? Many of these things are out of our control, re what goes into food and pollution and exposure to electricity etc. There are things you can do to reduce toxicity in your home and I have added some links re that at the end of this article as well as some tips about what I do personally which you may find helpful.
Meanwhile for your convenience here are some supporting links with a few quotes.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/womenfamily.html?in_article_id=453431 & in_page_id=1799
"The Founder of the Hyperactive Children Support Group, Sally Bunday, said there is good evidence that artificial additives can have a harmful effect. She said: The consequences can be very serious for both children and adults who are sensitive to these artificial colours. The reaction in children can be horrendous in terms of mood swings with crying, screaming, inability to sleep. There can also be physical reactions such as difficulty in breathing on skin rashes.
" For a young person there is also a risk of quite angry mood swings."
http://www.ewire.com/display.cfm/Wire_ID/2787
"The dread we all feel about increasing numbers of cancer, asthma, learning disabilities, and birth defects has triggered a movement for proactive health measures. Because of their constantly developing physiology, children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to the damage of chemical exposures.
Aside from disrupting the immune and reproductive systems, kids can be impacted neurologically- ironically harming their ability to learn in the institution they are sent to be educated. The fact that threshold levels of pesticide exposure and health studies are currently based solely on an adult male of approximately 160 pounds underscores that children are counting on adults to protect them. So far, we are failing."
http://www.rmbarry.com/books/lets_booklet.html
"Many scientists and doctors are discovering that there is a connection between our increased use of household chemicals and the increased incidence of chronic illnesses in children like cancer, asthma, ADD, birth defects, and a host of other problems."
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/NATURE/09/11/toxin.report.enn/index.html
"Every year, U.S. industry releases about 24 billion pounds of toxic substances that are believed to cause developmental and neurological problems in children.
That amount could fill a string of railroad cars stretching from New York City to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and yet there are no emissions standards for these harmful chemicals.
This alarming finding is one of many in Polluting Our Future: Chemical Emissions in the U.S. that Affect Child Development and Learning, a joint report released Thursday by the National Environmental Trust, Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Learning Disabilities Association. "
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/12/njunk12.xml
"A sinister cocktail of junk food, marketing, over-competitive schooling and electronic entertainment is poisoning childhood, a powerful lobby of academics and children's experts says today.
In a letter to The Daily Telegraph , 110 teachers, psychologists, children's authors and other experts call on the Government to act to prevent the death of childhood.
They write: "We are deeply concerned at the escalating incidence of childhood depression and children's behavioural and developmental conditions."
http://www.precaution.org/lib/06/prn_poisoning_children.060727.htm
" But if history is any guide, the permanent government is NOT moved by mere facts or mere multi-billion-dollar savings offered by pollution prevention. For some reason (which each of us can decide for himself or herself), the permanent government calculates that someone or something important is better-off when large numbers of children are poisoned each year, even at considerable cost to GDP .
If this is the case, then campaigns built around "more information" and "more effective messaging" -- without intentionally building the infrastructure to support and sustain a grass-roots movement for change -- are likely to have quite limited success, are they not?"
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,,1851280,00.html
This link provides details of the many additives in food that are harmful.
Here are some things I do to minimise poisoning my children. I could do more and will endeavour to do so.
- I read food labels and try to avoid foods with artificial additives, colourings or preservatives, seeking similar alternatives that claim not to have them.
- I try not to give them processed foods, preferring instead to buy raw food that I can prepare myself.
- Fizzy drinks - they've never had them, and sugar intake is kept to a bare minimum too. I do not police what they have when we eat out but as it is infrequent, any adverse effects will be very minimal. I am not all or nothing. Moderation is key.
- I educate my children re eating healthily, so this becomes habit forming and sets them up for life.
- I use chemical cleaning products minimally and just in the kitchen and bathroom. I have bought 'natural' cleaners before and will (when current supply exhausted) go back to those. I use static cloths to minimise the need for any cleaning product.
- I made sure I moved to an area where there are no telecommunication Pylons in the near vicinity and other polluters etc. That said the area I live in has a high incidence of asthma in children due to the traffic. This problem should be resolved before my children are of the age they have to walk to school, as the council are building a bypass.
- My children do NOT have electronic games and watch the TV infrequently. They are still young though but I will monitor any use as they get older.
- I have an ioniser which removes harmful positive ions from the air (caused by electrical equipt in the home) and also dust and bacteria etc.
- I use natural remedies for common ailments rather than modern chemical laiden ones where possible. For example Manuka Honey+10 is an effective anti-biotic.
- I have recently been given an eco friendly 'wash ball' that will apparantly clean my washing for up to 120 uses.
This is my list, but there is a lot more I could be doing though as the links at the bottom show.
One article link I used shows the government isn't interested in NOT poisoning our children so the only way we can fight back is re our wallets . Let's stop buying the foods and chemicals that are harmful. All of these things have equally efficient and inexpensive alternatives. They may not be so 'convenient' to buy but it is the need for 'convenience' that has got us in this mess in the first place.
Helpful Links for us!
http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/pledge/index.php
http://www.greenhome.com/
http://www.toxicfreeliving.com/
One article link I used shows the government isn't interested in NOT poisoning our children so the only way we can fight back is re our wallets . Let's stop buying the foods and chemicals that are harmful. All of these things have equally efficient and inexpensive alternatives. They may not be so 'convenient' to buy but it is the need for 'convenience' that has got us in this mess in the first place.
Helpful Links for us!
http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/pledge/index.php
http://www.greenhome.com/
http://www.toxicfreeliving.com/
This post was brought to you by Leah - Relationship Columnist , Problogger and eBook author home page here: www.creative-blogger.com
LeahG Artist and Designer
Leah left the retail and health management world a few years ago to become a freelance writer and artist. She now enjoys creating funky vibrant cartoons and illsutrations for websites, promotional materials and as gifts. Leah would love to illustrate her own children's books in the future. Presently she is creating cartoon and cartoon mascots for business clients.
Visit LeahG's Cartoon and Illustration Services website here for updates and latest art work.
Leah left the retail and health management world a few years ago to become a freelance writer and artist. She now enjoys creating funky vibrant cartoons and illsutrations for websites, promotional materials and as gifts. Leah would love to illustrate her own children's books in the future. Presently she is creating cartoon and cartoon mascots for business clients.
Visit LeahG's Cartoon and Illustration Services website here for updates and latest art work.
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Top-level comments on this article: (10 total)Yeah CB, we are not blind to the problem, only what can we do? We can write to our representatives, we can demonstrate, but what will ever produce positive results to the problems we are confronted with, do you have any answers?This is what I do to minimise poisoning my children: I don't buy foods with artificial additives, colourings or preservatives and try not to give them processed foods. They have a tiny bit when we eat out but it is very minimal. I can't do anything about those things. It is actually fairly easy to buy foods that don't have these things in them and they are no more expensive. I use chemical cleaning products minimally and just in the kitchen and bathroom. I have bought 'natural' cleaners before and will (when current supply exhausted) go back to those. I made sure I moved to an area where there are no telecommunication Pylons in near vicinity etc. Things like this we can do ourselves. Fizzy drinks - they've never had them, and sugar intake is kept to a bare minimum too. One article link I used shows the government isn't interested in NOT poisoning our children so the only we can fight back is re our walletts. Stop buying the foods and chemicals thata re harmful. All of these things have equally efficient and inexpensive alternatives. they may not be so 'convenient' to buy but it is the need for 'convenience' that has got us in this mess in the first place.
Hi David, I have edited my article at the end with a more detailed list of what I do to limit poisons and toxins in the home and some links re what we can all do!
Hello CB, I clicked onto the first link and to the link which relates to what government can do. As far as protecting your home, personally I believe we have to deal with the source of the problem. For once your children leave their protected home they are in their real home, the world. Does this make any sense? I don't have much time to read up on it right now I have to attend a birthday party tonight. But I will get back to it later...thanksHi David you have a very valid point, but the largest danger presents while they remain childlren, as their bodies are still developing, which will not develop correctly if we don't protect them from poisons or restrict their use in the home. Meanwhile they can be educated to desire a healthier lifestyle so that as adults they may perhaps be more proactive in seeking a toxic free environment than perhaps our generation are. Let's hope it's not too late by then. Re the poisons outisde the home. Vote with your wallet and be heard. I hope to be heard via articles like this. Spread the word.
ps. Enjoy the party!
Let's assume for a moment that we are poisoning our kids with lousy food, and environmental pollutants as you indicate. You will not get an argument from most people. The stretch is when you try to connect it to a host of mental health disorders such as bipolar disorder, autistic spectrum disorders, ADHD, borderline personality disorder etc. I will reiterate that your own country's most significant research study found no evidence that nutrition played a direct role in causing these disorders. Several days ago, a mother wrote on this site about the characteristics of autism since she has two children suffering for the "label" as you call it. Just what kind of advice do you have for her other than merely telling her to clean up her environment?James, I know how the 'evidence' game is played in science, so that argument as I said before will not work with me. Do you believe in the big bang theory? If so why? There is no evidence for it. I could cite thousands of widely accepted scientific 'facts' for which there is no evidence. There is no evidence that these additives are SAFE, most of them have not been tested for their combined effects or long terms effects. What is your response to this? Re the mum with autistic children, my heart goes out to her. I did NOT mention autism in my label article. There are many articles which link all types of things as possible causative factors of autism, it is under constant investigation- as it's on the rise, but none to my knowledge relate the cause to parental care or diet. I am disappointed that you tried to use this 'emotional' unrelated article as part of your argument. I did acknowledge genuine disorders and the need to catagorize them. I did acknowledge that there are genuine 'naturally' occurring cases of ADHD, just not as many as are being diagnosed, which numerous studies are demonstrating. Numerous studies also claim links with chemicals and ADHD and other childhood conditions. Parents are being held responsible in some countries for obesity in children. Other countries are focusing on education to reduce obesity. Let's also take responsibility as a culture not just for how much we eat, but for what we eat. The point is not to play the blame game but to make changes and get it right so our children can be healthy. They deserve nothing less.
Creative blogger, I am only writing to set the record straight. It is not fair to make claims that are inaccurate. You DID mention autism in your last article, ie. "aspergia," which stands for a society of those who have Asperger's syndrome. Asperger's syndrome is a neurologically based, genetic form of autism. I am not usually this vehement, but you used "aspergia" in your previous title and connected it to "labeling" and direct ties to nutrition issues. Now, being in the mental health field, and working with these folks, I take offense to that! I would never pose as an expert on things that I had no formal knowledge about.Aspergia was used in the title as it is Dr Levines main point of contention re labels. You will note it is the only time Aspergia is mentioned and it is not by me- other than in the title.
Thus if you have a point of contention re his words, you need to take it up with Dr Levine. I am only the messenger, and you know what they say about not shooting the messanger.
You have unpolitely accused me of posing as an expert, if I was doing that I would not cite sources and provide quotes from my sources. I do not say anything in my article or my bio to suggest any such thing.
I realise this article steps on your toes but that was not my intention. It is however my point of view and I have every right to express it as an informed point of view. I have just won an award for the label article on a news site. The award reads as follows:
"Our final TopFinds award goes out to CreativeFossil, who earns a hearty salute for bringing to the site an informative piece on the dangers of labeling children with mental health disorders. That post wins this week’s TopHealth Award for making us question an issue the mainstream media rarely touches. Creative summed up her argument with this telling statement:
Labeling creates an image you are defective which can lead to low self-esteem, hinder progress and worse become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Let’s hope DigitalJournal.com’s Citizen Journalists and fans will be treated to more of CreativeFossil’s intriguing arguments and passionate opinions. After all, it’s all well and good to have health care in this world, but it’s great to have someone who cares about health."
Meanwhile, I would appreciate your response to the question I asked you re the lack of evidence that additives are safe as your supporting argument for using them was that there was no conclusive evidence that they were not safe.
many thanks
CB, I agree with your article. I've found most who deal with modern medicine find it difficult to think that something as simple as what we ingest could cause the myriad of problems listed in your article. However, I'm not a big believer in modern medicine. Doctors seem to treat your symptoms with drugs that alot of them, not ALL, get a nice kickback from the drug company if they use X-amount of the drug in a certain time period. Anyway, there is much more I won't put in this forum. Keep up the good work. Know that I'm in your corner on this one!Hi James, we are what we eat..literally.
yes greatly
PLEASE give me a list of foods to get and also NOT to get and I will try this. We have an 8 year old girl with ADD. She is very smart but gets "spacey" and cannot "stay in the zone" with her peers. As a result, she is already becoming a target at school and left out. She is mostly quiet and absolutely NOT hyperactive!!!! Grades are not a problem and she willingly does all of her homework. She has just started on a very low dose of meds and thanks us every time we give it to her. She says it clears up all of the junk going on in her head that interferes with listening. There are apparently no groups in our area and we haven't been able to find anyone to give us the actual information to help! If you can tell us another solution, we will act upon it and let you know how it goes. School starts soon and we are already in a panic. Thank you very much! HelenHi Helen, response below. Good luck.
Hi Helen I will try to find some resources for you, as stated in the comments, I am not an expert and these symptoms of ADD vary greatly so anything I say cannot be taken as expert advice and you should always consult your GP. What I can tell you though regarding your daughter' thanking you for her meds as it clears up all the junk in her head' is that I can relate. Here is the reason I relate. Once when I was 4 weeks pregnant I was misdiagnosed as being depressed (I was very tearful due to the pregnancy which showed up as a negative when I did a test at that time) and I was prescribed Prozac an antidepressant. The feeling for me was wonderful, all the junk in my head was cleared up, for first time in my life. I thought about one thing at a time, could focus, and did not let irritations ruin my day. However, 4 weeks later I had a positive pregnancy result and immediately came off the Prozac. Now while I know that somewhere is a drug that can help me be more focused and less stressed, I will never take that drug again as it is a drug and I accept myself as I am. At school I was hyper and spacey. I would 'drift' and become so still people thought on occasion I was a mannequin and that is no exaggeration. I could not see, hear or feel anything when I was 'out'. But in my head I was merely daydreaming. In school I would miss chunks of lessons and now I am in a classroom helping out and the same thing happens, I daydream and miss what is going on. Drugs may help this, but accepting myself for my flaws and abilities is preferable for me. I after all manage and life is good. My friends, later partners, accepted me this way. I think I space out less now I am older, not sure. I think having kids pretty much prevents zoning out! Anyway, previous Googling I have done says that high does EPA (you can buy kids version of this over the counter - ask your pharmacist) aids concentration greatly and that porridge is not only good for immune system but also for reducing/preventing stress and that bananas are also a good mood food and sleep aid. I have a flower remedy for quietening my busy head at night time, which I only use occasionally called Night Essence by Jan De Vries, this seems to work for me and can be given to children from age 2 according to the box. Basically I take it when thoughts are whirring and I want to sleep but can't. The effect for me seems to be that the thoughts simply cease/reduce enabling me to relax and sleep. Hope this helps.
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