ECONOMIC STATUS AND NUTRITION

AMERICA’S ECONOMICS AND THE IMPACT IN OUR NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF HOMELESS CHILDREN

A Dissertation Presented

By

Anthony Wallace, NDNaturopathy Doctoral Candidate

To

The Faculty of Clayton College of Natural Health Graduate College

In Partial Fulfillment of the RequirementsFor the Degree of Doctor of Naturopathy Specializing in Naturopathy Education

December 28, 2010

All Rights © Reserve

ECONOMIC STATUS AND NUTRITION ii

Table of Contents

Foreword……………………………………………………………………………iii

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………...v

CHAPTER 1

Introduction………………………………………………………………………….1

Homeless children……………………………………………………………….1

Nutritional impact……………………………………………………………….2

Prepare the community………………………………………………………….3

CHAPTER 2

Homeless Nutrition……………………………………….........................................4

2.1 The background…………………………………………………………….. 4

2.2 The burden of sickness……………………………………………………....4

2.3 Malnutrition………………………………………………………………….5

2.4. Violence and Nutrition……………………………………………………...6

2.5. Bad Ingredients……………………………………………………………...7

CHAPTER 3: Naturopathy Methodologies…………………………………………9

CHAPTER 4: Discussion…………………………………………………………..13

4.1 Local Government Funding………………………………………………...14

ECONOMIC STATUS AND NUTRITION iii

CHAPTER 5

Summary……………………………………………………………..15

CHAPTER 6

Recommendation…………………………………………………….17

References…...……………………………………………………….18

Appendix 1….………………………………………………………..20

Appendix 2.…………………………………………………………..25

Appendix.………...………………………………………………….27

ECONOMIC STATUS AND NUTRITION

LIST OF TABLES

Tables Page

Table 1.1 Community Disparities Among the Homeless Population 5

Table 2.1 Aggressive Behaviors Chart 7

Table 3.1 Proper Intake of Vitamins and Aggressive Behaviors 8

ECONOMIC STATUS AND NUTRITION 3

FORWARD

I want to dedicate this paper to my many supporters that have stuck by me through thick and thin. The road is hard working towards a PhD but it is worth the struggles at the end of the course. I want to thank my mother for her encouragement to keep trying, never quite, never give in. In all essence, thanks mom. To the many PHD candidates and faculty, it has been a pleasure Take care and be in good health.

ECONOMIC STATUS AND NUTRITION 4

ABSTRACT

This dissertation’s main focus is on how children that are raised primarily in a domesticated home that is filled with violence are not able to perform well in school as other children that are raised in home that are not violent. The study is an informative dissertation that will inform the reader of past studies of children that are raised in violent homes. The paper compares the impact of the child’s environment and their nutritional status. The paper will also support theories of negative behaviors on nutrition intake and school performance. In conclusion, the dissertation will display my recommendations for parents, school nurses, and administrators, to intervene when students makes an outcry for help.

Keywords: nutrition, homeless children, violence, America

ECONOMIC STATUS AND NUTRITION 5

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

In this dissertation, I will explain how our local economy can affect our

children and their eating habits. Most of our children are raised in low-income

environments and do not receive the daily amount of nutrition that is recommended

for proper growth and development (Keeler, 2009). This paper will give insight on

problems that affect our homeless children. I will explain how we can develop

policies and procedures in our government to ensure that low-income families may

receive quality meals. My mission is to educate and promote health and wellness to

prevent common childhood diseases. There are several studies related to nutrition

concerning the homeless population. My dissertation is an informative essay that

will give a simple description of our growing population of homeless children. I

believe with more education and community networking we can lobby for more

programs geared to helping children to receive the gift of proper health and wellness

through nutrition.

1.1 Homeless Children

In the United States of America, the homeless population is approximently

2.2 million people and majority of the population consists of single mothers and

runaway teens (Wiecha, 1991). There are children suffering from starvation and

vitamin deficiency because of the lack of funding from our government regarding

the food stamps program and the lack of soup kitchens in the area of need.

Many soup kitchens offer food, shelter, clothing, and even job assistance, but lack

the funding needed, making it a challenge to feed everyone that is in need of

services. Most of the single mothers that have applied for services such as the food

stamps and AFDC (Aids to Families with Dependent Children) program are rejected

because the mother does not have stable housing and departmental lack of funding.

Most of the parents in the study conducted by Wiecha, were on drugs, lost their jobs

and could not find work, or suffer from some form of mental illness (Wiecha, 1991).

1.2 Nutritional Impact

Children that are not properly fed nutritious foods that they need for health

and development can suffer from anemia, brain and developmental delays, and poor

muscle function (Ansage, 2008). The United States government awards each state

with federal fund free lunch programs. Then the funds are trickled down to our

local government for use in our local school districts. Our local school lunch

programs are designed to prevent several childhood diseases such as rickets, vitamin

A deficiency, and other vitamin deficiencies that will cause developmental delays

and even death (Robert, 2010).

As Naturopathic Doctors, we are trained to look at the family in a holistic

phase when treating them and assisting in lifestyle changes in their diets,

recreational activities, and emotional health. There are valued steps that our

community can combat the hunger problem. For example, volunteering at the local

shelter, donating food in quantities, and getting others involved in helping others.

Most of our communities consist of followers, by leading them in the right

direction, we can fight hungry and prevail.

1.3 Prepare the Community

Our community is need of people that have caring hearts to do a job of many

men and that is willing to care for global population. There is a sense of awareness

that I want to bring to the community about our growing trend of homeless children

in America. We tend to turn our head at the homeless person on the street corner

asking for a dime or just a piece of your sandwich to fill his/her stomach for tonight.

There are so many ways that we can raise awareness of this growing problem. With

the present economy and the loss of millions of jobs, we can start to prepare for the

unthinkable. The unthinkable would be that everybody has lost his/her job and

history has repeated itself with the great depression.

I believe that in my paper along with my recommendations we can go to the

local government and solicit local branches of government to assist in raising funds

from those that can sponsor homeless shelters, provide resources for job training or

hiring information, etc. These are all good avenues to start thinking and placing

action regarding this issue. This growing trend is not only affecting our nation, but

also the family that is affect by hungry and extreme poverty.

CHAPTER 2: Homeless Nutrition

2.1. The Background

In the United States of America there are more than 250,000 to 2.2 million

people that are homeless and over 50% are children. Most of the homeless

population is single mothers that are either pregnant, fatherless, or considered low-

income housing. The elderly population and runaway teens make up 5-10% of the

2.2 million homeless population (Wiecha, 1991). The problems that may result from

malnutrition are poor brain development, hypertension, immune suppression, and

other acute and chronic infections.

2.2 The Burden of Sickness

The burden of the poor according to the 1990 situation study clearly suggests

that the rich are benefiting financially because of the decline of communicable

diseases among the homeless population. The 1990 situation studies suggest that

communicable diseases are considerably more important for the world’s poor than

the global averages. These studies suggest that non-communicable diseases are less

important than communicable (Gwatkim,1999). In the study, The Burden Disease

among the Global Poor states that in the DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life) the

United States population that are considered rich are benefiting from proper

medical care when they are sick versus the poor and homeless population that are

unable to afford the proper medical services that are needed. When we have

patients that cannot afford proper healthcare it becomes a burden to the local

government hospitals.

In the diagram below is a comparison

of how there are more deaths and

disabilities regarding communicable

diseases and non-communicable

disease among the poor.

Table 1.1

The diagram above clearly show that differences in the economic classes

regarding diseases populations and care rendered. The rich are shown in yellow and

are most likely to get sick and seek treatment for a disease that is non-

communicable such as heart disease or hypertension. On the other hand, the

homeless populations that have contracted any communicable diseases are caught in

a survival of the fittest. In my opinion, with the lack of essential vitamins, poor

immune support, and lack of regular meals the homeless population will be most

susceptible to TB, Colds, and Flu (Gwatkim,1999).

2.3. Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a condition that occurs mostly in the developing counturies

and can cause other diseases such as brain damage, developmental delays and poor

muscle coordination. There are more than 800 million persons world wide that are

struggling with hunger (Torpy, 2004). Malnutrition can cause a person to become

confused and disoriented because of the lack of essential nutritients that nurish our

brain cells.

In the United States of America, we are fighting hunger as developmental

countries Africa and Asia, and some parts of the Indies that are in the most worse

conditions than the US population. Sickness and disease resulting from malnutrition

is much more than just missing one meal. Malunutrition is when the patient is

exibiting symptoms of dehydration and lacks essential protein that is needed daily.

The body needs essential vitamins and minerals to perform daily task. For example,

watching television, reading the daily paper, and performing the routine task of our

normal ADL’s (Activities of Daily Living). There are several diseases and

childhood learning disabilities that may present as a result of malnutrition. Iron and

iodine deficiency can affect the child’s ability to concentrate and retain information

that has been taught in school. It is essential that new mothers get regular prenatal

checkup with their Obstritian/Gynocologist to prevent vitiamins, protiens, and other

nutrients deficiancies (Thompson, 2010).

2.4 Violence and Nutrition

A study that was conducted in 2005 stated that malnutrition at an early age

could result from aggressive behaviors as the child grows into adulthood. The study

was conducted on middle to adolestant school age children from the ages of 8 to 17

years old. The study found that 41% of participants lacked certain essential proteins

which may have contributed to the display of more aggressive behaviors.

According to the study participants that were at the age of 17 years old, 51%

displayed anti-social and aggressive behaviors (Adams, 2005).

Table 2.1

The essential vitamins that were missing

from our RDA (Recommended Daily

Allowance) according to the ADA

(American Dietetic Association) listed in

the figure section of this dissertation. The study continues to state that the most

important vitamins that were missing from our diets were Zinc, Iron, B vitamins, and

Proteins. (Adams, 2005) This study educates readers on the importance of nutrition such

as zinc, iron, and B vitamins, which is essential as a preventive for childhood illnesses by

building up the immune system. According to the study, zinc is the most common

deficiency vitamin in the American diet (Adams, 2005).

2.5. Bad Ingredients

There are ingredients that are present in our food supply that preserve food for a

longer shelf life. The preservatives and additives are the leading causes of cancer and

behavior problems in our children. Most families that are classified as low-income

households were the most exposed in all of the economic division, because of what is

available and affordable at the time. White flour, white sugar, and fructose corn syrup

are the leading causes of diabetes and heart disease. Corn is the main ingredient in every

food product in our local grocery stores (Adams, 2005). The studies suggest that these

ingredients deplete the body of the essential B vitamins in the body.

This deficiency may lead to anti-social and aggressive behaviors in young males.

The daily recommended intake for Zinc, B vitamins, and proteins are in fig 2.2.

(Acu-Cell Nutrition, 2010)

Table 2.2

There are scientific

studies that were

conducted regarding

domestic violence

between parents and

children that were not

properly given the

nourishments during the

stages of pregnancy

during the child’s

development. As

concerned citizens, we

can take it upon

ourselves to incorporate

citywide programs to aid our children, giving them the proper nutrition that is

recommended. According to this study, we can reduce crime rates statistics and

aggressive behavior in our children and adolescents (Sutliff, 2004).

Age Sex Zinc B-

Vitamins

Proteins

8 Male 5mg B1 -100

mg

B2 –

100mg

B3 –

100mg

B12 - 100

mcg

0.91

g/kg/day

17 female 5 mg Same for

all

Same

for all

Chapter 3: Naturopathy Methodology

The American economy is affecting our children’s nutrition. I surveyed

several participants on three major social website Facebook, Yahoo Questions, and

Survey Monkey. My target population consisted young mothers between the ages

of 18-32. I did not place a demographic restriction limiting the results of my study.

I placed a disclaimer that all questions were private and were for an education

purpose for a doctoral degree in Naturopathic Science. The study’s demographic

questionaire focused on income status, age, and weather if the participants were

receiving governmental assistance of any kind (AFDC, Food Stamps, and Federal

Housing Assistance).

I wanted to see if the study could be repeated and weather the results be the

same or different from past studies. I have not received any feedback from any of

my study participants. From past studies, researcher havc shown that there has not

been a suficiant amount of funding for local governments to extend benefits to

single parents for food assistance (Wiecha, 1991). There are incidents of sickness

among children that are malnurished due to lack of education in the parents, lack of

interest, and insufficient funding for prenatal visits. According to the past studies,

50% of homeless children are not receiving any assistance from the local

government or food stamps.

Our hunger crisis in Africa is leading the nation with hungry children that

are severally malnurished. The United States does not have as dire a hunger crisis

as most of the developmental nations. The US has responded to the possiblity of a

food shortage by consuming an abundant amount of genetic modified foods (GMO).

According to the statisitics of childhood deaths there are 5.6 million children dying

from hunger-related diseaes and another 146 million are underweight and

malnurished.

There are now programs that are geared to combating world hunger such as

Internation Micronutrient Mulnutrition Prevention and Control Program

(IMMPACT) which provides global support and technical assistance in elimating

vitamin and mineral deficiencies in children and hidden hunger (Gerberding, 2006).

The CDC partnered with United Nations Chidren’s Fund (UNICEF) to manage the

project and survey the quality of the programs in developmental countries.

There are a limited amount of agencies that are providing nutritional care in

developmental countires due to the lack of government funds and lack support from

the general public. We, as Americans, belong to the richest country in the world,

and we are falling short of our status with high cost and lower econmic flow of

governmental funds. We are now on borrowed time before we are in need of

foreign help ourselves. America’s economy is recovering slowly but not fast

enough for the growing 250,000 – 2.2 million hungry and homeless people that are

looking for relief.

It is estimated that, out of 100 percent of food shelters or panteries, there are

only 63% of food service personnel that have any food service training and only

17% have at least a trainied dietician or nutritionst on staff or on a volunteer basis

(Gerberding, 2006). We need more trained professionals that are nutritionst and

dieticains to volunteer at the local shelter to enhance the nutritional value for our

children and help them become healthier adults.

My methodology of nutrition is based on past studies that were published

and can provide some concerte information that can be used to build on for future

research. The nutritionaal studies have the same qualitative result regarding the

number of homeless hungry children and nutients that may influence violent or

antisocial behaviors. All of the studies that are listed in the references are based

upon the action of incorportating a health and wellness program in reference to

nutrition, proper brain development, and proper behavior modifications.

Nuritional suppleements and food sources vitamins at the pernatal level will

increase the chances of a well developed fetus (Mc Craly, 1998). Vitamin therapy

through natural food sources are best for the body’s ability to fight diseases

common among children, such as the common cold or flu. If a child does not

receive the proper nutritents that are present in leafy green vegetables (Vit C),

apples (Vit A) and milk and cheese (Vit D), the child will be suspetible to diseases

that can cause defects in their learning abilites and stature. There are plant source

alternatives that provide more vitamin D than milk and cheese, such as soy, and pine

nuts which as a great source of Vitamin B and Vitamin D (Adams, 2005).

Vitamin therapy, according naturopathy, requires several avenues to

diagnose and treat patients such as hair analysis, patient assessment, and

environmental contributations or dietary habit. It is imporant that as naturopathic

doctors, we embrase our belief and values to instill it into the patient that are

seeking services. Naturopaths are educators of proper nutrition and life sytle

enhancements, and provide treatment the patient holistically (Services, 2010).

Naturopaths prevent diseases and perform health promotion activities.

The art of Naturopathy is to seek out reliable information that can be shared

with the community to promote a healthier community. A naturopathic nurtition

based diet may consist of herbs that promote healing and proper digestion, such as

green tea, peppermint tea, and peppers. Balanced foods, herbals, and other

supplements that the a naturopath may prescribe to a patient diet to increase

vitamins for healthy growth and development such as spirilla, soy, and rice proteins

(Adams, 2005).

A naturopaths approach to health and wellness can range from nurtition

therapy, homeopathy, hydrotherapy (bach flower remedies in water), physical

massage, exercise, and lifestyle coaching. Some of the therapies that we employ as

naturopaths can be correlated with conventional medical techniques. Naturaopathy

is a age old tradition that has its root in Germany and was brought here to America

as a natural form of therapy that does not replace conventional care but

completments it (Services, 2010).

There are several principals of practice that a naturopath has to adhere to in order

to ensure safe practice when providing theraputic support in vitamin therapy and

other therapies associated with the scope of a naturopathy.

1. To do no harm that has already be done.

2. Use the healing power of nature (sun, fresh air, and water)

3. Identify and treat the cause.

4. Heal the whole person. Treat the patient holistically

5. Physicians must as as teachers of the art.

6. Prevention is the best cure (Lee, 2010)

Chapter 4: Discussion

The studies that were presented in this paper are all simular in nutritional

techniques and models of care. The federal government has stepped in to combat

global hunger but has provided limited fund to combat hunger in the United States.

Children that are in developmental stages from the ages of 0 to 4 are in the most

critical stages of deveolopment and need all the essential vitamins in their diet for

proper brain development and growth (Mc Craly, 1998).

Children that are in these early developmental stages and are part of the

homeless population tend to have more absences from school than other children

that are not homeless. Most of the data could not prove the differences between

the housed children and children that were reported homeless related to food

shortages (Wiecha, 1991). The results of all of the studies regarding proper

nutrition and the missing link between vitamin therapy and aggressive behavior

conclued that zinc, b-vitamins, and other essential minerals can be found in food

sources were to blame in criminal behavior (Adams, 2005).

There are several studies that have led me to believe that mothers that are in

abusive relationships cause childen at suckling ages to be at risk for aggressive

behaviors due to a lack of consistancy in lactation schedules, hendering the child

from essential vitamins. This study stated that “when there is abuse in the home the

mother would not seek medical attention or prenatal care, in latin countries such as

South America” (Davolos, 2006).

Our local goveernment has made changes to educate and survey programs

to ensure their effectivness and compliance. The CDC launched its program to start

in Africa where worldwide hunger is at its worst. The CDC and other private

sources raised money to assist UNICEF in implementing and providing the supplies

and the technical resources to help children in Africa. The CDC also provided

education to the local villages to enhance independace and self reliance

(Gerberding, 2006).

The hunger problem on a global scale will never go away, but we can slow

down the process of malnutrition and raise awareness to prevent disease. The

UNICEF organization reports that vitamin A, zinc, iodine deficiencies, and

micronutrient deficiencies still remain a public health problem in third world

countries (Nutrition, 2010).

4.1. Local Governmental Funding

According to the National Center for Children in Poverty there are limited

funds to feed millions of Texans. According to the United States Health and Human

Services budget, at the begining of the fiscal year the state of Texas was awarded

federal funds of $2,718,200.00 million and the state of Texas renders Texans

$239.00 a month as a benefit for food stamps (Texas Food Stamps , 2010). This is

may be enough to feed a family of two or three, but the family of six cannot survive

based the benfit amount of $239.00 a month. The state of Texas has formulated

programs that are tailored for specific populations such as WIC (Women, Infants,

and Children) and other programs that are esstential to proper health, nutrition, and

development.

Chapter 5: Summary

My dissertation regarding the American economy and the effects on the

nutritional status of children will support my theory of incorporating better

nutritional programs for children under the age of 18 years. The paper focuses on

the child’s growth and development, health and wellness through nutrition.

The sub-focus is how we could look at this problem from a global aspect and not

just citywide or statewide. I want to bring more awareness to this problem and find

steps to educate the community in establishing policy and procedures at the

governmental level. I want to secure funding opportunity for agencies that want to

help in the fight against hunger and homelessness.

In the United States, the local government solution to the vitamin deficiency

problem is to add fortified chemicals (Vitamin D, fluoride, etc) to the public

drinking water. This will replace essential nutrients that the child may not receive at

home through conventional food sources. The only objection is that all the

nutritional chemicals that are placed in the water during treatment stages are being

diluted. It is not enough minerals and vitamins getting to our children where it is

needed.

I believe that the art of natural eating may assist in curing the patient or at

least combat the growing cases of childhood diseases. For example, Rickets is a

disease that children get when they do not have enough vitamin D in their bodies.

Naturopaths give the patient soy rice protein, low fat milk (1-2% if age 6 or greater),

or cheese. Rickets can be treated and even prevented. There are many cures that

we yet to know because there is more diseases that are being discovered daily. The

naturopath never cures his/her patient but assist in the prevention and the treatment

of disease.

Chapter 6: Conclusions

My recommendation for new doctors of naturopathy, they must enforce

education at an early age on proper nutrition. I feel that we must give guidance to

the consumers, local officials, and the Directors of Government Health and Human

Services regarding childhood hunger. Healthcare professionals can prevent hunger

by becoming advocates for needy children. Many agencies in the federal

government are willing to give money towards an agency that renders aid to

homeless and low-income people. There is not enough qualified food service

personnel to implement the plans to render services to the surrounding populations.

I feel that even when the state requires a person(s) that want to operate a

soup kitchen must hire a consulting dietician. This will ensure that all the clients are

getting healthy meals that provide the DRI (Daily Recommended Intake) of

vitamins, proteins, and nutrients that a child’s need to stay healthy. The global

hunger problem starts here at the city level because there must be an example that

the plan works. We need governmental funds available for other programs that are

geared toward high-risk nutrition deficiency populations such as pregnancy,

immune compromised population (AIDS), the elderly, and WIC. These are all

examples of persons that without proper nutrients they are more susceptible to

communicable disease than any other population.

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Appendix 1

Study Indicates Nutritional Deficiencies Lead to Aggression & Violence in ChildrenFrom: http://www.newstarget.com/006194.htmlOther References:Full report at American Journal of Psychiatry

Nutrition Key to Aggressive Behavior (University of Southern California)

Malnutrition in early years leads to low IQ and later antisocial behavior (Innovations

Report)

NewsTarget.com printable article April 02, 2005 By Mike Adams 

Lack of Basic Nutrition Creates Generation of Criminals; Prison System Society A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry shows that children who experience malnutrition exhibit strikingly increased behavioral disorders and aggressive behavior as they grow older. The study looked at children between the ages of eight and 17 years, and found some rather shocking statistics about their behaviors. Children who suffered certain nutritional deficiencies demonstrated a shocking 41% increase in aggression at age eight. At age 17, they demonstrated a 51% increase in violent and antisocial behaviors. And the only difference is their diet. It's all about the foods they were eating and the nutrients they were missing.

What specific nutrients were missing from their diets? Four primary nutrients were tried in the study: Zinc, iron, B vitamins and protein. Malnourished children weren't getting crucial minerals like zinc and iron, and they weren't getting the B vitamins they needed to develop healthy nervous systems. And a healthy nervous system is a prerequisite for mental and emotional health and stability.

Now let's talk about these nutrients in a little more detail and explore why these nutritional deficiencies are so widespread.

Zinc is perhaps the single most common nutritional deficiency in the American population. Estimates are that more than 80% of the population is deficient in zinc. As a result of that deficiency, people's immune systems are impaired, they're not able to resist infectious diseases such as influenza, they're not able to heal their wounds as quickly and they're not able to recover from surgical procedures as quickly as they could if they had zinc. It also affects fetal development in pregnant women and impairs neurological function.

And yet zinc is cheap! It only costs a few pennies a day to supplement our diets with zinc. In fact, it's one of the least expensive supplements you can get. But in our country we still have widespread chronic deficiencies. And as we're seeing in studies like this, our zinc deficiency is leading to let's say it bluntly criminals.

Why do we have so many criminals in this country? Because so many of them are raised with nutritional imbalances which then distort their mental function, their mood, their response to stress and their ability to be successful in modern society. At least those are major contributing factors. At the same time we have B-vitamin deficiencies, which is interesting because so many of the popular food products sold in grocery stores all over the country and around the world actually deplete the body of B vitamins.

The two most common ingredients in our foods seem to be white flour and sugar. It's hard to find any product in the grocery store, it seems, that isn't made with flour or some form of added sugars, whether it's sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose or just plain sugar. These two ingredients are both highly refined ingredients, and they tend to strip away nutrients from the bodies of people who consume them. For example, when a person eats a donut, that donut contains both white flour and added sugars, which deplete the body of B vitamins, causing deficiencies. And it is these deficiencies that lead to antisocial

behavior, aggressive behavior and ultimately criminal behavior - especially among males.

Another dietary factor in these behavioral disorders, it turns out, is a lack of quality protein. People aren't getting high quality protein because they think the only place to get protein is from beef and red meat, when in fact super foods like spirulina offer much higher quality protein. Soy and rice proteins are also much higher quality proteins. In fact, there are many plant proteins that are actually healthier proteins for human beings, but are not being adequately consumed by the American population. People tend to turn to meat and milk, and those are in my opinion the worst sources of protein if you wish to maintain long-term health.

So we have a population that suffers from widespread nutritional deficiencies that much we know. But what may surprise you is how we actually deal with these deficiencies. Instead of spending a few dollars a month on nutritional supplements that would prevent these chronic diseases and aggressive behaviors, we end up spending hundreds of billions of dollars a year on building new prisons and treating these people with expensive prescriptions and mind-altering drugs. When it comes to children, for example, instead of giving them the food they need to be healthy, which would prevent these diseases and disorders, we dose them on Ritalin, antidepressants and other mind-altering drugs. This is expensive. It also impairs the child's learning capability while at the same time increasing the child's risk of violent behavior and suicide.

Here we have a nutrient deficiency, most notably the B vitamins, that is causing children to act aggressively and be diagnosed with ADHD. The solution offered by conventional medicine is to dose them with antidepressant drugs that actually promote more aggressive behavior as we've seen in recent school killings. What kind of solution is that? It sounds crazy, but it's exactly the solution being implemented every day, right now, all across the country. Perhaps even with your child. But these kids don't need drugs; they need vitamins, nutrition and healthy foods.

Another point worth mentioning here is that the national food supply doesn't offer consumers sufficient quantities of these vitamins and minerals. There's a great myth out there one frequently promoted by conventionally trained medical doctors that says you get all the nutrition you need from eating three balanced meals a day. But this is

nothing more than a myth. "Three balanced meals a day" is meaningless because a lot of people think that one breakfast at Denny's, lunch at McDonald's and dinner at home with macaroni and cheese is "balanced". And that's absurd. It is neither balanced nor a meal. It's simply junk food that promotes chronic disease and obesity.

But even if you went to the grocery store for fruits and vegetables and ate them three times a day, you still wouldn't be getting adequate nutrition (see related eBook on nutrition). To figure this out for yourself, just do the math.

Add up the U.S. RDA numbers on the labels of all the foods you consume, and you'll find out that if you're going to meet the minimum requirements set by the U.S. government for preventing chronic disease, you're going to have to eat, on average, 10,000 calories a day of grocery store foods. That's 500% more food than an individual needs if they're a healthy adult of average weight. It's impossible to eat that much, even if you try hard. Morgan Spurlock, the creator of the "Supersize Me" documentary, ate nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days. He stuffed himself with McDonald's food three times a day and still only managed to eat about 5,000 calories. You would have to double Spurlock's incredible feat to eat 10,000 calories a day. And only then would you be meeting the minimum requirements for nutrition.

And yet, those minimum requirements aren't enough to experience optimum health; all they do is prevent the most obvious nutritional deficiency diseases such as beriberi, scurvy or even rickets. If you want to get optimum health, you've got to supplement your diet through nutritional supplements, or by consuming super foods like chlorella or spirulina, sprouts, berries and products like The Ultimate Meal or Berry Green. This is the only way you can get adequate nutrition.

As we're now realizing with this study, a huge segment of our childhood population clearly is not getting this nutrition. As a result, we are raising yet another generation of children with behavioral disorders, aggression and problems with the law. Essentially, we are raising tomorrow'scriminals. These are the people that will be put in federal prisons that you and I will have to pay for with our taxpayer dollars. We're going to have to support them, and it costs a lot of money to support prisoners. Not only do they not produce anything, they don't pay taxes or

contribute to the revenue needed to support society. They actually suck away revenues from society by costing something like $60,000 per year per prisoner on average. They simply waste away without learning new skills that could help them assimilate back into society someday.Now think about it. We could spend a few dollars a month on our children, and give them nutritional supplements that prevent all of this. The choice is this: spend a few dollars a month on supplementing our kids' nutrition, or let this become a full-blown problem where we have to build more prisons and spend tens of thousands of dollars every year to support them in our federal prison system.

Which choice makes more sense? If you were running the country and had to decide where to spend the money, where would it make more sense? Should you spend a couple of dollars a month on nutritional supplements for children and pregnant women, or should you spend $60,000 a year on each and every criminal that is created by nutritional deficiencies? Think about it.

Right now in our country, we have a system that literally gives rise to a population of emotionally imbalanced, mentally deranged criminals. And they are that way because, in part, they don't have good nutrition. They simply don't get the vitamins and minerals that their nervous systems need to fully develop and function in a healthy way.

So what's the solution here? It's easy. Nutritional supplements should be made available free of charge to the entire population. The government (the taxpayers, actually) should provide free vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to the population, especially pregnant women and children, so that we can prevent birth defects and behavioral disorders early on. We would save countless dollars down the road. This is something I've supported for a long time and I will continue to promote.

But of course, nothing is free. American taxpayers would be footing the bill, but it is a wise investment. By spending a few dollars on disease prevention today, we are avoiding the long-term expenditure of a lot more money taking care of a society full of criminals.

Nutrition is a great investment, and preventing disease has a big payoff for society. I say we pay close attention to these studies and find ways to provide better nutrition to our children, our expectant

mothers and our general population so that we can prevent these diseases before they become problems for society.

Source: http://www.newstarget.com/006194.htmlOther References:Full report at American Journal of Psychiatry

Nutrition Key to Aggressive Behavior (University of Southern California)

Malnutrition in early years leads to low IQ and later antisocial behavior (Innovations

Report)

 

Appendix 2

The burden of disease among the global poorDavidson R Gwatkin MPA a  , Michel Guillot MA b, Patrick Heuveline PhD c

Summary

BackgroundGlobal and regional estimates show that noncommunicable diseases in old age are rising in importance relative to other causes of ill health as populations age, and as progress continues against communicable diseases among infants and children. However, these estimates, which cover population groups at all income levels, do not accurately reflect conditions that prevail among the poor. We estimated the burden of disease among the 20% of the global population living in countries with the lowest per capita incomes, compared with the 20% of the world's people living in the richest countries.

MethodsEstimates for the global poorest and richest 20% were prepared for 1990 for deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), by a procedure used in a prominent recent study of the global disease burden. Projected mortality rates in the year 2020 were established for the world's poorest and richest 20% under various

assumptions about the future rate of decline in communicable and noncommunicable diseases.

FindingsIn 1990, communicable diseases caused 59% of death and disability among the world's poorest 20%. Among the world's richest 20%, on the other hand, noncommunicable diseases caused 85% of death and disability. A raised baseline rate of communicable disease decline between 1990 and 2020 would increase life-expectancy among the world's poorest 20% around ten times as much as it would the richest 20% (4·1 vs. 0·4 years). However, the poorest 20% would gain only around a quarter to a third as much as the richest 20% from a similar increase in non-communicable diseases (1·4 vs. 5·3 years). As a result, a faster decline in communicable diseases would decrease the poor-rich gap in 2020, but under an accelerated rate of overall decline in non-communicable diseases, the poor-rich gap would widen.

InterpretationOur estimates are crude, but despite their limitations, they give a more accurate picture of changes in attributable mortality among the world's poor than do the global averages in current use.

Nutritional Survey Tool

1. What is your age

1. 18-21

2. 22-30

3. 31-40

4. 50+

 

2. How do you view your present health status?

1. Never Sick

2. Often sick (colds. asthma, etc.)

3. Always sick (chronic illness, AIDS, COPD, Heart Disease)

 

3. How is your present Diet?

1. Vegetarian

2. Meat eater (red) beef with vegetables

3. Meat eater without red meat (beef) with vegetables

4. Meat eater no vegetable or very little

 

4. What is present income status? Remember this is a survey that determines what income status is the most affected by the economy.

1. unemployed

2. 5,000 - 15,000 yearly

3. 16,000 - 25,000 yearly

4. 30,000 - 40,000 Yearly

5. 41,000 +

 

5. Do you feel that government assistance (food stamps, AFDC, etc.) are helping those that are affected by the economy?

1. Yes

2. No

 

6. How do you feel about organic foods?

1. The food is safer

2. It is much more expensive

3. It doesn’t matter food is food.

 

7. How do you judge your food supply?

1. Are you a research consumer

2. Do you check for the daily specials and search for better deals

3. Just get what you need regardless of the price.

8. How do you view hunger in the world?

 

1. It is not a big problem2. Its only homeless people affected by hunger.

3. Everybody is affected including the rich

4. It doesn’t bother me I can’t do anything about it