A fast-food restaurant within 500 feet of a school may lead to a 5 percent increase in the obesity rate at that school, reports Reuters. According to a Columbia University and University Carliforinia, Berkeley report*, "a ban on fast foods in the immediate proximity of schools could have a sizable effect on obesity rates among affected students." Earlier this month, we reported on a study that linked increased stroke risk in people with easy-access to fast food. Researchers looked at stroke risk in 64 neighborhoods, and found that the risk was 13 percent higher in neighborhoods with the most fast-food restaurants, compared to those with the least. We noted that while fast-food restaurants have introduced healthier menu items in recent years, many favorites are still high in calories and fats, and regular dining on these types of foods can increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Read more on modern fast-food culture, find out how to help your child choose healthy foods, and see our Treatment Ratings (subscribers only) for more on how diet, exercise, and behavorial therapy can help fight obesity.

Dr. Rob's Comment:  There is a great quote by a leading health advocate and professional Paul Chek that says, "You Are What You Eat."    Nothing could be closer to the truth.  What amazes me is how many middle schools and high schools actually serve as a special lunch this type of food.  Did you know that the fats that are common in fast food are actually trans fats.  When evaluated under an electron microscope the consistency of trans fat is like plastic.  The cells in the digestive tract cannot recognize it as nutrient so once it is absorbed it is taken to fat cells and stored as toxin.  Over time it is no wonder why we are carrying 20 pounds extra.  Very unfortunate it takes place so close to our childens schools. 

Tell me what you think.  Your Youth & Vitality Health Mentor,  Dr. Rob Anderson Highlands Ranch Chiropractor. 

Children Born to Mothers Who Took Valproate Have Lower IQs, Researchers Say

Women with epilepsy who took the drug valproate ( Depakote) during pregnancy gave birth to children whose IQ at age 3 averaged up to 9 points lower than the scores of children exposed to other epilepsy drugs, according to a new study.

"Valproate exposure to the unborn child is associated with a lower IQ, which is not explained by any of the other factors [influencing IQ], such as mother's IQ, mother's age, or epilepsy type," says Kimford J. Meador, MD, the study's lead author and professor of neurology at Emory University in Atlanta.

The average IQ of children born to women who took valproate was 92 -- 8 below the 100 that is considered average -- and the scores of those exposed to other epilepsy drugs ranged from 98 to 101, he tells WebMD.

The implications go beyond the use of the drugs in women of childbearing age who have epilepsy, Meador tells WebMD, because the drug is also commonly prescribed for migraine headaches and bipolar disorder.

Dr. Rob---Did you know that there is good clinical research out there that confirms the three conditions this drug is prescribed for can be helped with chiropractic care.  It is shocking to me that we are still medicating pregnant women.  There is no solid proof anywhere that drugs do not cross the placental barrier and affect a developing baby.  EVEN acetaminophen crosses and increases the risk of asthma.  Why would we think that valproate wouldn't do an damage.  Weigh in on your thoughts here and follow the discussion at www.twitter.com/drrobanderson

Your RoadToVitality.com Mentor,    Dr. Rob Anderson 

New Research Sheds Light on Chiropractic, Hearing Loss and Ear Infections Atlanta, GA, April 03, 2009 --(PR.com)--

Recent research reporting on improvement in a 3 year old girl undergoing chiropractic care reveals that chiropractic may play an important role in managing children with hearing loss secondary to ear infections. The research, reported in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic, includes a review of the literature supporting the role of chiropractic in children suffering from ear infections and calls for more research in this area. “Numerous case studies and some clinical studies are revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and the various problems related to ear infections” stated Dr. Crystal Brown, the author of the paper. “These types of structural problems in the upper part of the neck cause a back-up of the lymphatics and problems with the tubes draining the middle ear. By removing the structural imbalance chiropractic helps these fluids drain, and improves nerve supply and range of motion.” The unique aspect of this case study is the improvement in hearing that accompanied the chiropractic care. After several rounds of antibiotics, myringotomy tubes placed in the ears and worsening speech and hearing loss, the parents of the child brought her to a chiropractor who checked the child’s spine for vertebral subluxations, found them and then reduced them. Abnormal position or movement of the spinal vertebra can develop and this can lead to nerve interference. It is this interference, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct. “With everything we know about the dangers of antibiotic abuse, chiropractic intervention makes perfect sense in the case of childhood ear infections. In fact, chiropractic is the treatment of choice for dealing with the structural and neurological aspects of ear infections.” remarked Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study, “This child was experiencing speech, hearing and school challenges as a result of her ear infections and the medical intervention was not helping. It wasn’t until the chiropractic intervention that the child improved dramatically and in a very short time.” The child was first diagnosed with ear infections when she was one year old. For the next two or so years the child had repeated infections that were unresponsive to multiple rounds of oral antibiotics, ear drops and three separate insertions of tubes in the ears. The child’s health condition continued to deteriorate with her preschool teacher noticing hearing and speech problems. Audiological testing confirmed both these findings and the third set of tubes were removed due to complications of excessive fluid accumulation, rupture of the eardrum, worsening speech disturbances and bilateral hearing loss. The mother decided to try chiropractic care prior to another set of tubes and after only about one month of chiropractic the child improved dramatically including a normalizing of the audiology testing.

Dr. Rob says,  This just makes sense.  Whether you are a mother, father, doctor, nurse, teacher...What ever you do professionally, this article just makes sense.  Subluxations in the spinal nerves change the way the organs and muscles are being controlled.  Remove the Subluxation, Remove the problem.   Your RoadtoVitality Health Mentor,  Dr. Rob

The analysis looked at 62 children with autism between the ages of 2 to 7 years. The subjects received either 40 one-hour sessions of hyperbaric therapy or a sham treatment.

A whopping 80% of the experimental subjects showed improvement, compared with only 38% of control subjects. Areas of improvement overall functioning, language, social interaction, eye contact and sensory and cognitive awareness.     BMC Pediatrics – March 2009;9:21.     www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpediatr/

This is interesting research and will certainly be helpful in the future with Autistic children.  My question, however; is what is the real cause of Autism?   Is it really vaccinations.  I say yes.  See what you think. 

An article in the March 10, 2006 issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons shows that since mercury was removed from childhood vaccines, the alarming increase in reported rates of autism and other neurological disorders (NDs) in children not only stopped, but actually dropped sharply - by as much as 35%.

Using the government's own databases, independent researchers analyzed reports of childhood NDs, including autism, before and after removal of mercury-based preservatives. Authors David A. Geier, B.A. and Mark R. Geier, M.D., Ph.D. analyze data from the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and the California Department of Developmental Services (CDDS) in "Early Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following Removal of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines."

The numbers from California show that reported autism rates hit a high of 800 in May 2003. If that trend had continued, the reports would have skyrocketed to more than 1000 by the beginning of 2006. But in fact, the Geiers report that the number actually went down to only 620, a real decrease of 22%, and a decrease from the projections of 35%.

This analysis directly contradicts 2004 recommendations of the Institute of Medicine which examined vaccine safety data from the National Immunization Program (NIP) of the CDC. While not willing to either rule out or to corroborate a relationship between mercury and autism, the IOM soft-pedaled its findings, and decided no more studies were needed. The authors write: "The IOM stated that the evidence favored rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal and autism, that such a relationship was not biologically plausible, and that no further studies should be conducted to evaluate it."

As more and more vaccines were added to the mandatory schedule of vaccines for children, the dose of the mercury-based preservative thimerosal rose, so that the cumulative dose injected into babies exceeded the toxic threshold set by many government agencies. Mercury is known to damage nerve cells in very low concentrations.

The concern about vaccines may actually be underrated, as it is generally acknowledged that the voluntary reporting of such disorders has resulted in vast underreporting of new cases. For example, the Iowa state legislature banned thimerosal from all vaccines administered there after it documented a 700-fold increase in that state alone. California followed suit, and 32 states are considering doing so.

Up until about 1989 pre-school children got only 3 vaccines (polio, DPT, MMR). By 1999 the CDC recommended a total of 22 vaccines to be given before children reach the 1st grade, including Hepatitis B, which is given to newborns within the first 24 hours of birth. Many of these vaccines contained mercury. In the 1990s approximately 40 million children were injected with mercury-containing vaccines.

The cumulative amount of mercury being given to children in this number of vaccines would be an amount 187 times the EPA daily exposure limit.

Between 1989 and 2003, there has been an explosion of autism. The incidence of autism (and other related disorders) went from about 1 in 2,500 children to 1 in every 166. Currently there are more than a half million children in the U.S. that have autism. This disorder has devastated families.

In 1999, on the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics and U.S. Public Health Service, thimerosal was removed from most childhood vaccines as a "precautionary" measure - i.e. without admitting to any causal link between thimerosal and autism.

The Geiers conclude that mercury continues to be a concern, as it is still added to some of the most commonly-used vaccines, such as those for flu:

"Despite its removal from many childhood vaccines, thimerosal is still routinely added to some formulations of influenza vaccine administered to U.S. infants, as well as to several other vaccines (e.g. tetanus-diphtheria and monovalent tetanus) administered to older children and adults. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) retreated from the stated 1999 goal of the AAP and the PHS to remove thimerosal from U.S. vaccines as soon as possible.As a result, assessing the safety of TCVs [thimerosal-containing vaccines] is a matter of significant importance."

Certainly worth a "pondering" of the evidence before you decide to do shots.

Please weigh in on your thoughts.

  Your Health Mentor,  Dr. Rob Anderson and Vitality Chiropractic of Highlands Ranch