Food and Health

"More than 2.5 million children have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and an additional l5 percent of children have borderline hyperactivity or behavioral issues. During our research we discovered nearly l00 studies validating the hypothesis that food dyes and additives are a factor in attention and behavioral disorders and can increase the incidence of ADHD. In one of those studies 73 percent of the children placed on a diet free from chemical additives, die and artificial sweeteners showed a reduction in hyperactivity and an increase in attention..."

From Lunch Lessons, Ann Cooper and Lisa Holmes, 2006 Collins, page 7.

Citing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Public Health Perspective ( USD of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control 20020)

M. Boris and F. Mandel, " Foods and Additives are Common Causes of the Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder in Children", Annals of Allergy 72( 6;May l994) 462-468.

Nationally, the school lunch program has been recognized as being a primary contributor to childhood obesity and increasing diabetes among youth. As well, institutionalized food programs have drawn on commodity programs as well as institutionalized food services, which in turn diminish the potential of local and traditional foods and create unhealthy food choices for our youth.

There has been a dramatic increase in childhood diabetes in Native America and in the past few years, tribal governments have begun addressing the issue of diabetes. One example: noting that 82 percent of their dialysis patients had diabetes, compared to the national average of 25 percent , the Cheyenne River Sioux of South Dakota declared war on diabetes in 1989, urging the school lunch programs to serve only low-fat lunches to reservation youth. As well, tribal employees were allotted three hours a week to participate in organized fitness programs.

The dramatic rise of refined and processed foods, along with the decrease in fresh fruits and vegetables has a large effect on our brains and behavior, in particular young children. By age 2, almost 25 percent of all babies in America are consuming some form of junk food at least once a day. This assault on the body and brain has begun to establish patterns of cravings, addictions, blood sugar instability and creates the foundation for health and psychological disturbance in infancy.

Local Solutions

Pine Point Farm to School Program

Our work in this arena is to begin providing the foundation for healthier eating habits for our children, beginning with the children in the Pine Point elementary school. Moving our children to organic and unprocessed foods will give our youth "dramatic" and "immediate" protection, first by providing healthy traditional foods and second, organic and unprocessed foods, which are not sprayed with pesticides that will further damage our children's health and well-being.

Farm-to-School programs help remedy these problems. By assisting school districts buy food from local producers, such programs can substantially increase the nutritional value of children's lunches, and teach healthy eating habits that are less dependent on heavily processed foods. At the same, such a program helps provide a reliable market for local small and mid-sized farmers/producers. Farm-to-School efforts are experiencing a range of success with many school districts around the country. The program takes many forms, from year-round farm fresh salad bars in California to exploring minimal processing of fresh products to enhance the efficiency and availability of local products throughout the school year in the colder regions.

(Obtained from http://www.reapfoodgroup.org/farmtoschool/nationalcontext.shtml)