I watched a PBS documentary titled The Medicated Child a couple of nights ago. It made me want to reach into the TV and strangle some of the doctors who are pumping kids full of drugs. I don’t doubt that some people are born with true chemical imbalances that require medication, but when we’ve got literally millions of children being diagnosed as bipolar or suffering from ADHD and put on drug therapy, something is very, very wrong.
If you have a Netflix account that includes streaming and an internet-enabled TV, you can find the documentary there and watch it on the big screen. If not, you can watch it below. You’ll hear the word “nutrition” mentioned only once, if memory serves. Meanwhile, you’ll see kids consuming ice cream, cookies, battered corn dogs, and Gatorade. No wonder they have brain issues.
Watching shows like this, I’m thankful I’ve learned so much about nutrition. My daughter Sara is highly intelligent, but also bouncy and energetic. Put her on a lousy diet, and I can easily imagine her behavior changing enough that some well-meaning teacher would tell us she’s hyperactive or suffering from ADD and may need medication.
As Dr. Barry Sears once wrote, every time you eat, you’re drugging yourself. I can’t help but think most of these kids are taking prescription drugs to offset the effects of the “drugs” they eat.
Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.