In the winter of 2000, the Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a study indicating that 200,000 two- to four-year-olds had been prescribed Ritalin for an "attention disorder" from 1991 to 1995. Judging by the response, the image of hundreds of thousands of mothers grinding up stimulants to put into the sippy cups of their preschoolers was apparently not a pretty one.
Most national magazines and newspapers covered the story; some even expressed dismay or outrage at this exacerbation of what already seemed like a juggernaut of hyper-medicalizing childhood. The public reaction, however, was tame; the medical community, after a moment's pause, continued unfazed. Today, the total toddler count is well past one million, and influential psychiatrists have insisted that mental health prescriptions are appropriate for children as young as twelve months. For the pharmaceutical companies, this is progress.
Health & Wellness
Australians will soon be eating genetically modified food whether they like it or not.
The nation's major grain handler, Graincorp, announced this week that genetically modified canola will be mixed in with the main crop in this year's harvest.
Anti-GM groups say the decision means canola oil and a large amount of commonly bought processed food made with canola will now be genetically modified.
The nation's major grain handler, Graincorp, announced this week that genetically modified canola will be mixed in with the main crop in this year's harvest.
Anti-GM groups say the decision means canola oil and a large amount of commonly bought processed food made with canola will now be genetically modified.
Many more Americans have been using prescription drugs to treat mental illness since 1996, in part because of expanded insurance coverage and greater familiarity with the drugs among primary care doctors, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
They said 73 percent more adults and 50 percent more children are using drugs to treat mental illness than in 1996.
Among adults over 65, use of so-called psychotropic drugs -- which include antidepressants, antipsychotics and Alzheimer's medicines -- doubled between 1996 and 2006.
"What we generally find is there has been an increase in access to care for all populations," said Sherry Glied of Columbia University in New York, whose study appears in the journal Health Affairs.
They said 73 percent more adults and 50 percent more children are using drugs to treat mental illness than in 1996.
Among adults over 65, use of so-called psychotropic drugs -- which include antidepressants, antipsychotics and Alzheimer's medicines -- doubled between 1996 and 2006.
"What we generally find is there has been an increase in access to care for all populations," said Sherry Glied of Columbia University in New York, whose study appears in the journal Health Affairs.
Being bullied may increase a child's risk of developing psychotic symptoms, researchers have found.
Children who were teased had nearly twice the risk of developing psychotic symptoms compared with those who weren't picked on, Dieter Wolke, Ph.D., of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, and colleagues reported in the May Archives of General Psychiatry.
The association was even greater -- about four and a half times stronger -- when bullying was chronic or severe.
"We found that bullying victimization is a moderate to strong predictor of psychotic symptoms," the researchers said. "These results support emerging evidence about a relationship between peer victimization and psychotic experiences from cross-sectional or retrospective studies."
Children who were teased had nearly twice the risk of developing psychotic symptoms compared with those who weren't picked on, Dieter Wolke, Ph.D., of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, and colleagues reported in the May Archives of General Psychiatry.
The association was even greater -- about four and a half times stronger -- when bullying was chronic or severe.
"We found that bullying victimization is a moderate to strong predictor of psychotic symptoms," the researchers said. "These results support emerging evidence about a relationship between peer victimization and psychotic experiences from cross-sectional or retrospective studies."
Being able to keep your cool or lose your temper is down to genes, according to a new study.
Isolation of a gene called DARPP-32 helps explain why some people fly into a rage at the slightest provocation, while others can remain calm.
More than 800 people were asked to fill in a questionnaire designed to study how they handle anger.
The German researchers also administered a DNA test to determine which of three versions of the DARPP-32 gene people were carrying.
The gene affects levels of dopamine, a brain chemical linked to anger and aggression.
Isolation of a gene called DARPP-32 helps explain why some people fly into a rage at the slightest provocation, while others can remain calm.
More than 800 people were asked to fill in a questionnaire designed to study how they handle anger.
The German researchers also administered a DNA test to determine which of three versions of the DARPP-32 gene people were carrying.
The gene affects levels of dopamine, a brain chemical linked to anger and aggression.
Drinking water which contains the element lithium may reduce the risk of suicide, a Japanese study suggests.
Researchers examined levels of lithium in drinking water and suicide rates in the prefecture of Oita, which has a population of more than one million.
The suicide rate was significantly lower in those areas with the highest levels of the element, they wrote in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Researchers examined levels of lithium in drinking water and suicide rates in the prefecture of Oita, which has a population of more than one million.
The suicide rate was significantly lower in those areas with the highest levels of the element, they wrote in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
In an attempt to reclaim its reputation a few months back, the makers of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) created a few sneaky commercials, which were really hard for us in the food community to take seriously. But now HFCS is in the news again - and this time the reason is much worse. It turns out that many foods sweetened with HFCS contain mercury, left as a residue in the production of caustic soda, a key ingredient in HFCS. And worst of all, the FDA and the industry have known about this potential toxin and has continued serving it up since at least 2005.
The HFCS industry has been shrouded in mystery since it began in the 1970s, essentially the result of "get big or get out" record corn harvests and subsequent plummeting commodity prices for farmers. What to do with all that excess corn? The answer was not to decrease yields, but to find a way to get that corn into our stomachs. This has led to the proliferation of HFCS in nearly all processed foods you find in the grocery store. The industry has lacked transparency, and our government has refused to mediate our current health crisis - an upswing in diabetes and obesity resulting from cheap calories like HFCS - with regulation. So its not surprising that it took so long for the news to reach the public eye.
The HFCS industry has been shrouded in mystery since it began in the 1970s, essentially the result of "get big or get out" record corn harvests and subsequent plummeting commodity prices for farmers. What to do with all that excess corn? The answer was not to decrease yields, but to find a way to get that corn into our stomachs. This has led to the proliferation of HFCS in nearly all processed foods you find in the grocery store. The industry has lacked transparency, and our government has refused to mediate our current health crisis - an upswing in diabetes and obesity resulting from cheap calories like HFCS - with regulation. So its not surprising that it took so long for the news to reach the public eye.
The ongoing swine flu epidemic may have you wishing you had taken that flu shot this season, but some doctors say you may be better off without it.
"Since the 12th century, the most commonly used treatment for a cold or the flu is chicken soup," said Dr. Mayer Eisenstein, one of the guest speakers at the U.S. Autism & Asperger Association's regional conference on Saturday at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Cherry Hill. "If you think we have anything more sophisticated now, think again."
"Since the 12th century, the most commonly used treatment for a cold or the flu is chicken soup," said Dr. Mayer Eisenstein, one of the guest speakers at the U.S. Autism & Asperger Association's regional conference on Saturday at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Cherry Hill. "If you think we have anything more sophisticated now, think again."
It's day 30 of Autism Awareness Month, which means 2,160 new cases of autism were added this month -- one every 20 minutes. At a cost of $3 million per child, the bill for this epidemic -- $90 billion per year -- will hit every pocketbook and every school budget. Hard.
When we think of hormones, we think of spotty teenagers and grouchy middle aged women. The truth is, we are all affected by hormones all of the time. Hormones play specific roles in our health and wellbeing. Some of our hormones are sexual in nature, but hormones play a whole range of other functions. When our hormones are balanced, we feel energetic and alive.
The endocrine system is a complex system made up of the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, thyroid, adrenals, gonads, pancreas, and pineal gland. These organs and glands release hormones which act as chemical messengers to transmit information from one cell to another. Tissue function, mood, growth, puberty, and metabolism are all regulated by these hormones. These hormones exist in a delicate and closely regulated balance. Hormonal imbalances, which can influence anyone at any age, not just menopausal women, can be caused by multiple factors and often result in vague symptoms that can be mistaken for other conditions or illnesses.
The symptoms of hormone imbalance can include fatigue, depression, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, headaches, low libido, weight loss, weight gain, hair loss, and much more. Because of their vague nature, these symptoms are often overlooked by people suffering from them. When a doctor is consulted it can be difficult to reach a diagnosis for the same reason. There is no one symptom that points specifically to a hormone imbalance. Often many other conditions are ruled out before a blood test is done to check for a hormonal imbalance.
The endocrine system is a complex system made up of the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, thyroid, adrenals, gonads, pancreas, and pineal gland. These organs and glands release hormones which act as chemical messengers to transmit information from one cell to another. Tissue function, mood, growth, puberty, and metabolism are all regulated by these hormones. These hormones exist in a delicate and closely regulated balance. Hormonal imbalances, which can influence anyone at any age, not just menopausal women, can be caused by multiple factors and often result in vague symptoms that can be mistaken for other conditions or illnesses.
The symptoms of hormone imbalance can include fatigue, depression, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, headaches, low libido, weight loss, weight gain, hair loss, and much more. Because of their vague nature, these symptoms are often overlooked by people suffering from them. When a doctor is consulted it can be difficult to reach a diagnosis for the same reason. There is no one symptom that points specifically to a hormone imbalance. Often many other conditions are ruled out before a blood test is done to check for a hormonal imbalance.
