Kids and junk food

This from Pinky's blog, interesting, yet seems common sense to me but most parents choose to ignore it. What's it going to take before it finally sinks in that processed foods, fatty foods and sugary foods are BAD when fed to your kids every bloody day!!! How long can parents continue to be so blind and not notice little Timmy is 3 times his normal weight? Or so hyperactive that he can't sit still for more than 30 seconds??? Are they going to have to raise the issue in an episode of EastEnders, just to seep through to the nation's conscience???

Quote

Kids and junk food

'Diets high in processed foods are causing bad behaviour and learning difficulties in children, scientists have warned. They claim junk food stops the brain working properly, leading to underachievement and a host of disorders.

Such foods not only lack the vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids that boost brain power but actually reduce the body's uptake of nutrients that improve concentration, a study has found.

Patrick Holford, who runs the Brain Bio Centre which tackles mental health problems through nutrition, said: "We're seeing outrageous imbalances in brain chemistry caused by the kinds of foods that sadly millions of kids are eating, and no one's doing anything about it. These kids are digging their own graves with a knife and fork. We know some fats found in processed and fried foods should be avoided."

In a study of children with learning and behavioural disorders such as dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, half the children were given omega-3 essential fats capsules for three months, while the remainder were given "dummy" treatment with capsules of olive oil. In some cases, children improved their reading age by up to four years.

Dr Richardson, who is also co-director of the Food and Behaviour Research charity, said that unhealthy dietary fats can actually displace the healthy fats in the brain. Known as trans fats, they are mostly found in processed foods such as crisps, biscuits and cakes.

Many teenagers get 40 per cent of their calories from fat. The researchers are worried that such poor diets could permanently damage brain development.'