I just put down an article I was reading in the Longevity Journal newsletter and they are saying mental illiness is turning up more often and at a younger age. They also said it could be all the chemical additatives in our foods and it begins in baby foods unless we make our own from pure substances. Also moms feed kids junk earlier in life because it is easier to hand them a cupcake, candy or ice cream than to feed them more natural snacks, like veges. I told my DIL not to have that junk in the house so Jason didn't get use to junk and he never did.

Interesting concept, Chatty. I hadn't heard of the article in Longevity, but the logic of food additives causing brain disturbances that lead to mental illness makes sense.

I made the baby food for my daughter, but didn't have time to do the same for my son. Few working parents probably do have that time, unless things have changed drastically since my kids were babes.

As for feeding junk foods earlier in life -- there are so many issues at play in the decisions we make on what we feed our children. We'd have to pass dozens of laws before we could possibly mandate the death of junk food. I'm not sure we'll see that in our lifetimes.

Instead, we may have to opt for - perhaps I should say pray for -- better education of our young parents -- and easy options for allowing them to make better food choices.

I think there was research done back in the 60s or 70s showing a relationship between food additives and ADHD. I'll have to ask my partner who the guy was that did the study; my partner wrote a paper on it when he was in college so he might remember the guys name.

And I'm not sure that legislation is going to make a difference, but education might. Then there's the economic factor, sometimes fast food is actually cheaper and more filling. I know when I was younger, I didn't pay attention to what I was eating. It wasn't until I was pregnant that I really tried to eat healthier.

It takes time to read product labeling, but some disclaimers
say an item has not been approved by FDA. And some straight out admit, having cancer causing agents. Guess we take our lives in our own hands on a daily basis. Here's praying all of
you and your loved ones remain safe!

The Environmental Working Group has a website that you might like. Not only do they have listings of toxic chemicals we encounter daily, but they also have a Cosmetics Database that lists personal care products by brand name along with a list of their ingredients and what those ingredients do. They list each item as being anywhere from 0 to 10 with 0 being the least toxic.

I believe you're right about the research done in the 60s/70s Yonuh.

Back in the 80s when my kids were babies and I was in my "Earth Mother" stage -- growing my own veggies, making my own bread, canning my produce and hand-processing baby food -- I had a poster on the wall in my kitchen that was all about food additives.

My recollection is that I learned about it on the "Phil Donahue" show, and that I sent away for it. Somehow I am thinking the poster was published by the CDC...

Feingold was the guy's name.

The so called scientists have so much crap added to our food about the only way to be sure something is aafe is to pick it yourself, wash it off and eat it. Ah! but then we must also wonder what is in the soil, fertilizer, pesticides or what, and how much of it? Lets face it people we haven't got a chance in hell of making it off this earth alive, LOL!!!

I have often wondered if the amount of food additives could be related to the horrendous increase we are seeing of children with autism.

The thinking that autism is more prelevent at present

..
In the past before society was more open there were many undiagnosed conditions..more people were instituionised and
without knowing and researching data from the past we really dont know if there are more children who develop autism today.

Not so long ago even dyslexia was not fully understood and the child could be wrongly labelled as being lazy...of low iq resulting often in antisocial behaviour due to frustration felt by the child..A no win situation

I do think a healthy balanced diet adequet sleep and daily exercise is a childs birthright.Food additives to be avoided

Totally agree on avoiding food additives. I try to do that as much as possible, even though that means cooking at home most of the time.

Caught just part of a local newscast this morning where food coloring and its affect on hyperactivity were being discussed. Here's a link to an article in case anyone else wants more info: FDA Holds Hearing on Safety of Food Coloring

I was slightly amused (mild term) to hear that the FDA was addressing this. As I recall, back 30-35 years ago, many women I knew and respected were ADAMANT that food additives like dyes negatively impacted their children's behavior.

But according to the "experts" there was no scientific proof. These apparently prescient women (and men) were told that it was all in their imagination...

Does anyone else beside me recall that books were written by parents of autistic children about their searches for ways to help their children? In most cases, as I recall, these parents wrote that they found improvement in their children's behavior and ability to function, IF they were on diets that restricted their intake of processed foods.

Way way back in my 20's, I got my college diploma in early childhood education, and worked many years as a live-in nanny and in daycare. Even back then there was clearly a link between diet and behaviour, and more than enough evidence that food dyes had a detrimental impact on young children. IMHO many children who have been diagnosed with ADD may well have an oversensitivity to additives and food dyes (in particular the reds). We've seen this in our own grandson, whose behaviour changed dramatically when his parents cut out everything with red dye (including cough syrups).

While on my course, I did two of my required essays and projects on autism, involving a lot of reading and research. I remember reading that limiting chemical intake and sensory overstimulation helped minimize the children's stress (and subsequent behavioral reaction to the stress).

I think one of the best experts in the field is Dr. Temple Grandin, an autistic woman whose insights into autism are amazing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin) - I found the movie about her very inspiring.

Dr Grandin is an amazing woman. I haven't seen the movie, but I have read one of her books about animal behavior that was awesome! I would highly recommend it - I need to go find the name of it.

It's "Animals Make Us Human"

Food additives can cause hyperactivity..I taught a boy who did reacted with certain "E" numbers..although diagnosed and having a clear understanding he would seek out the sweets that caused his behaviour to be out of hand..
he became a world class swimmer when he was channeled into sport.
the condition for him curtails his ability to work so sport fills a social need

Hyperactivity has a different diagnosis to autism which has a name in todays society but would be blanketed in the past when often institutional living was usued to care for the children

The continuim of autusim is vast.

I surely believe Dr. Grandin's concept, animals have emotions.
And IMO animals are smart. I personally cannot stand to see
a slaughterhouse. My dad never sent any of his cows to market;
his animals died of natural causes before being removed from
the farmland. Dr. Grandin's has a brisker personality than I;
it helps with her research. And I'm grateful to her for those 30 years of animal studies. As an animal lover, I'm thankful someone is trying to help ease the wrongful treatment some critters undergo.

I taught self-contained autism my last 6 years of teaching.
Reading all of Temple Grandin's books really helped me gain insight into what my students were dealing with.

Like you Greene learning as much as possible about autism enables teachers to work out stategy .The sheer talent shown by high functioning autistic children/adult.is amazing
Dr Grandin amongst other savants exhibit great talent.Some are musicians some artists..with great attention to detail

where is the line between a person who concentrates on one topic and becomes the expert and a person who is "wired" to think in the way autistic people do ?

My students all had their strong points but couldn't be considered 'high functioning'. If they had been they would have been mainstreamed rather than in my self contained class. My guys were more involved and couldn't function out of a highly structured environment with reduced stimulation and very structured programming. Take that away and the behaviors became a real challenge. I loved them all and in their own way they returned the affection.

Maybe the line you mentioned has to do with degree of difference between their singular strength and their over all functioning level?