Additional Info for Parents
Nutrition & Exercise
The AAP has recommendations for parents and pediatricians:
Nutrition and Exercise
Good nutrition and plenty of exercise are the building blocks for strong growth, healthy development and lifelong wellbeing for children.
These days, too many children are not receiving the proper nutrition or enough exercise.
The data shows:
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They are not eating enough healthy food — an estimated one in three children are overweight and about one in six (ages six to 17) are obese. Children need at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day; they need at least 2 servings of protein like lean beef, chicken, fish and they need 1,000mg or calcium and Vitamin D, which means they need dairy products as well.
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They are not getting enough exercise — only 30 percent of children (aged six to 21) participated in 20 minutes plus of vigorous physical activity on a daily basis. Children need to get 30 minutes of exercise on a daily basis, and should get 60 minutes of exercise 2-3 times/week. This means running, swimming, biking or things which elevate their heart rate over a sustained period. The health and safety risks of NOT getting this much exercise are enormous including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and a shorter life span
Caffeine and ADHD
We live in a pro-caffeine culture. Coffee and energy drinks have become part of the teen lifestyle, but parents should never encourage their children to drink caffeinated beverages. Stimulant medications, along with sleep, exercise, and healthy eating, comprise a safer and more effective ADHD treatment plan. If a patient is combining caffeine with their medication because they want more impact, dose adjustment should be considered.
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Caffeine Comparison
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children between the ages of 12 and 18 consume no more than 100 mg of caffeine daily and advises against caffeine for children under 12. Adults should drink no more than 400 mg per day. This chart compares the caffeine content of popular beverages.
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Adjuvant Treatments for Attention Disorders, Autism and Anxiety
There is a huge difference between anecdotal reporting of benefits from ‘treatments’ and scientifically designed and executed studies. The gold standard is double blind controlled studies with a large enough number of participants to show results in an accurate and powerful way. I am happy to share these documents and clinically relevant research with you. As a Clinician, I try very hard to bring in additional resources and methodologies to treat our patients. There are, however, limitations based on data, and we cannot recommend in good conscience interventions which have not been proven to be beneficial. One of the premises in medicine is ‘first, do no harm’. So, if something makes sense, is not dangerous and a child enjoys it, anything from yoga to therapeutic listening is not inappropriate. Moreover, essential common sense measures such as a healthy well-balanced diet, a good nights sleep, and regular exercise benefit everyone, especially children who may be predisposed to behavior problems.
Regarding the table below, if there is a blank space, it indicates that at this time, no objective data has been accrued to indicate a benefit exists. As physicians, we hold scientific research to a much higher standard than most lay people. So, there may be lots of ‘data’ as presented by companies or individuals promoting a given methodology or product; however, when peer-reviewed by rigorous scientific organizations such as the National Academy of Science, the American Academy of Pediatrics, or the National Institute of Health, there is no clinical evidence of efficacy over placebo [an inactive substance or regimen].
