What can a parent do to protect their child’s health in today’s world?

The last 40 years have shown a global epidemic rise in children suffering from poor health and chronic health conditions.  

In just the past 15 to 25 years, chronic conditions like ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have increased by 400 percent, autism by 300 percent(1), child allergies by 300 percent(2), asthma by 200 percent(3), and ear infections by 135 percent (with 69 percent of American children experiencing at least one such infection)(4).  Today, one in three children is overweight or obese(5), and for the first time in history we are seeing children with high blood pressure and type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes at levels reaching epidemic proportions(6).  These alarming facts make it abundantly clear that today’s children are the sickest generation in modern times.

The underlying causes of these chronic disorders include our polluted environment, unhealthy food and diet, sedentary lifestyle, and misguided allopathic/pharmaceutical medical treatments.  It is crucial that you protect your child from anything that can obstruct or compromise his or her growth and development, while supporting and improving health from within.

Food is the biggest and most important external influence on a child’ health.  The diet of the average child has changed drastically in the past years and these changes have directly contributed to epidemic increases in the number of children suffering from ill-health.  Poor food quality, poor diet and food allergies weaken the immune system and make a child more susceptible to colds, coughs, flu, ear infections, asthma and eczema.  Food allergies and gluten sensitivity can also lead directly to mood and learning disorders.

You must be vigilant about what your child is eating to safeguard his or her health.  Organic foods, clean water and balanced meals ensure that the digestive system is healthy and attend to any food allergies.  The importance of nutrition, diet and digestive health simply cannot be overstated.  Karolyn can assist in guiding you to provide your child with the best possible nutrition to bring the body back in balance, prevent disease, and support radiant and health.   

Karolyn Boyd

Nutritionist

Ottawa Holistic Wellness Centre

References:

Polanczyk, G., de Lima, MS, Horta, BL, Biederman, J. Rohde, LA (2007).  «The worldwide prevalence of ADHD:  a systematic review and metaregression ananysis ».  Am J Psychiatry 164(6):  942-48.

E. Isolauri, A. Hurrie, S., The allergy epidemic extends beyond the past few decades.  Clinical Exp. Allergy 2004, 34(7):  1007-1110.

Kamal Elderirawi, MS, Victoria Persky, History of Ear Infections and Prevalence of Asthma in a National Sample of Children anged 2 to 11 years.  The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988 to 1994.

Lamphear, BP, Byrd, RS, et al.  Increasing prevalence of recurrent otitis media among children in the United States.  Pediatrics  1997:99:E1.

Hedley, AA, Ogden, CL, Johnson, CL, Carroll, Curtin, LR, Flegal, KM.  “Overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults.”  JAMA 291:2847-50.  2004.  National Center for Health Statistics.

Munter, P, He, J, Cutler, J. A., Wildman, R. P., Whelton, P. K.  “Trends in Blood Pressure Among Children and Adolescents”  JAMA.  May 5 2004;  291:2107-2113.