"You do what you eat" by Marco Visscher
Ode issue: 26

From
www.odemagazine.com/article.php?aID=4143
------------------------------------------------

"Forget tougher punishments and hiring more police. The solution to
crime and violence is on your plate. Here's how healthy food can reduce
aggressive behaviour."

At first glance there seems nothing special about the students at this
high school in Appleton, Wisconsin. They appear calm, interact
comfortably with one another, and are focused on their schoolwork. No
apparent problems.

And yet a couple of years ago, there was a police officer patrolling the
halls at this school for developmentally challenged students. Many of
the students were troublemakers, there was a lot of fighting with
teachers and some of the kids carried weapons. School counsellor Greg
Bretthauer remembers that when he first came to Appleton Central
Alternative High School back in 1997 for a job interview: "I found the
students to be rude, obnoxious and ill-mannered." He had no desire to
work with them, and turned down the job.

Several years later, Bretthauer took the job after seeing that the
atmosphere at the school had changed profoundly Today he describes the
students as "calm and well-behaved" in a new video documentary, Impact
of Fresh, Healthy Foods on Learning and Behavior. Fights and offensive
behaviour are extremely rare and the police officer is no longer needed.
What happened?

A glance through the halls at Appleton Central Alternative provides the
answer. The vending machines have been replaced by water coolers. The
lunchroom took hamburgers and French fries off the menu, making room for
fresh vegetables and fruits, whole-grain bread and a salad bar.
Is that all? Yes, that's all. Principal LuAnn Coenen is still surprised
when she speaks of the "astonishing" changes at the school since she
decided to drastically alter the offering of food and drinks eight years
ago. "I don't have the vandalism. I don't have the litter. I don't have
the need for high security."

It is tempting to dismiss what happened at Appleton Central Alternative
as the wild fantasies of health-food and vitamin-supplement fanatics.
After all, scientists have never empirically investigated the changes at
the school. Healthy nutrition--especially the effects of vitamin and
mineral supplements--appears to divide people into opposing camps of
fervent believers, who trust the anecdotes about diets changing people's
lives, and equally fervent sceptics, who dismiss these stories as hogwash.

And yet it is not such a radical idea, that food can affect the way our
brains work--and thus our behaviour. The brain is an active machine: It
only accounts for two percent of our body weight, but uses a whopping 20
percent of our energy. In order to generate that energy, we need a broad
range of nutrients--vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids--that
we get from nutritious meals. The question is: What are the consequences
when we increasingly shovel junk food into our bodies?

It is irrefutably true that our eating habits have dramatically changed
over the past 30-odd years. "Convenience foods" has become a catch-all
term that covers all sorts of frozen, microwaved and out-and-out junk
foods. The ingredients of the average meal have been transported
thousands of kilometres before landing on our plates; it's not hard to
believe that some of the vitamins were lost in the process.
We already know obesity can result if we eat too much junk food, but
there may be greater consequences of unhealthy diets than extra weight
around our middles. Do examples like the high school in Wisconsin point
to a direct connection between nutrition and behaviour? Is it simply
coincidence that the increase in aggression, crime and social incivility
in Western society has paralleled a spectacular change in our diet?
Could there be a link between the two?

Stephen Schoenthaler, a criminal-justice professor at California State
University in Stanislaus, has been researching the relationship between
food and behaviour for more than 20 years He has proven that reducing
the sugar and fat intake in our daily diets leads to higher IQs and
better grades in school. When Schoenthaler supervised a change in meals
served at 803 schools in low-income neighbourhoods in New York City, the
number of students passing final exams rose from 11 percent below the
national average to five percent above. He is best known for his work in
youth detention centers. One of his studies showed that the number of
violations of house rules fell by 37 percent when vending machines were
removed and canned food in the cafeteria was replaced by fresh
alternatives. He summarizes his findings this way: "Having a bad diet
right now is a better predictor of future violence than past violent
behaviour."

But Schoenthaler's work is under fire. A committee from his own
university has recommended suspending him for his allegedly improper
research methods: Schoenthaler didn't always use a placebo as a control
measure and his group of test subjects wasn't always chosen at random.
This criticism doesn't refute Schoenthaler's research that nutrition has
an effect on behaviour. It means most of his studies simply lack the
scientific soundness needed to earn the respect of his colleagues.

Recent research that--even Schoenthaler's critics admit--was conducted
flawlessly, showed similar conclusions. Bernard Gesch, physiologist at
the University of Oxford, decided to test the anecdotal clues in the
--

Be A Healthy Vegan Or Vegetarian
http://www.geocities.com/beforewisdo...ealthyVeg.html

"The great American thought trap: It is not real
unless it can be seen on television or bought in a
shopping mall"

Steve wrote:

> "You do what you eat" by Marco Visscher
> Ode issue: 26
>
> From
> www.odemagazine.com/article.php?aID=4143
> ------------------------------------------------
>
> "Forget tougher punishments and hiring more police. The solution to
> crime and violence is on your plate. Here's how healthy food can reduce
> aggressive behaviour."
>
> At first glance there seems nothing special about the students at this
> high school in Appleton, Wisconsin. They appear calm, interact
> comfortably with one another, and are focused on their schoolwork. No
> apparent problems.
>
> And yet a couple of years ago, there was a police officer patrolling the
> halls at this school for developmentally challenged students. Many of
> the students were troublemakers, there was a lot of fighting with
> teachers and some of the kids carried weapons. School counsellor Greg
> Bretthauer remembers that when he first came to Appleton Central
> Alternative High School back in 1997 for a job interview: "I found the
> students to be rude, obnoxious and ill-mannered." He had no desire to
> work with them, and turned down the job.
>
> Several years later, Bretthauer took the job after seeing that the
> atmosphere at the school had changed profoundly Today he describes the
> students as "calm and well-behaved" in a new video documentary, Impact
> of Fresh, Healthy Foods on Learning and Behavior. Fights and offensive
> behaviour are extremely rare and the police officer is no longer needed.
> What happened?
>
> A glance through the halls at Appleton Central Alternative provides the
> answer. The vending machines have been replaced by water coolers. The
> lunchroom took hamburgers and French fries off the menu, making room for
> fresh vegetables and fruits, whole-grain bread and a salad bar.
> Is that all? Yes, that's all. Principal LuAnn Coenen is still surprised
> when she speaks of the "astonishing" changes at the school since she
> decided to drastically alter the offering of food and drinks eight years
> ago. "I don't have the vandalism. I don't have the litter. I don't have
> the need for high security."
>
> It is tempting to dismiss what happened at Appleton Central Alternative
> as the wild fantasies of health-food and vitamin-supplement fanatics.
> After all, scientists have never empirically investigated the changes at
> the school. Healthy nutrition--especially the effects of vitamin and
> mineral supplements--appears to divide people into opposing camps of
> fervent believers, who trust the anecdotes about diets changing people's
> lives, and equally fervent sceptics, who dismiss these stories as hogwash.
>
> And yet it is not such a radical idea, that food can affect the way our
> brains work--and thus our behaviour. The brain is an active machine: It
> only accounts for two percent of our body weight, but uses a whopping 20
> percent of our energy. In order to generate that energy, we need a broad
> range of nutrients--vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids--that
> we get from nutritious meals. The question is: What are the consequences
> when we increasingly shovel junk food into our bodies?
>
> It is irrefutably true that our eating habits have dramatically changed
> over the past 30-odd years. "Convenience foods" has become a catch-all
> term that covers all sorts of frozen, microwaved and out-and-out junk
> foods. The ingredients of the average meal have been transported
> thousands of kilometres before landing on our plates; it's not hard to
> believe that some of the vitamins were lost in the process.
> We already know obesity can result if we eat too much junk food, but
> there may be greater consequences of unhealthy diets than extra weight
> around our middles. Do examples like the high school in Wisconsin point
> to a direct connection between nutrition and behaviour? Is it simply
> coincidence that the increase in aggression, crime and social incivility
> in Western society has paralleled a spectacular change in our diet?
> Could there be a link between the two?
>
> Stephen Schoenthaler, a criminal-justice professor at California State
> University in Stanislaus, has been researching the relationship between
> food and behaviour for more than 20 years He has proven that reducing
> the sugar and fat intake in our daily diets leads to higher IQs and
> better grades in school. When Schoenthaler supervised a change in meals
> served at 803 schools in low-income neighbourhoods in New York City, the
> number of students passing final exams rose from 11 percent below the
> national average to five percent above. He is best known for his work in
> youth detention centers. One of his studies showed that the number of
> violations of house rules fell by 37 percent when vending machines were
> removed and canned food in the cafeteria was replaced by fresh
> alternatives. He summarizes his findings this way: "Having a bad diet
> right now is a better predictor of future violence than past violent
> behaviour."
>
> But Schoenthaler's work is under fire. A committee from his own
> university has recommended suspending him for his allegedly improper
> research methods: Schoenthaler didn't always use a placebo as a control
> measure and his group of test subjects wasn't always chosen at random.
> This criticism doesn't refute Schoenthaler's research that nutrition has
> an effect on behaviour. It means most of his studies simply lack the
> scientific soundness needed to earn the respect of his colleagues.
>
> Recent research that--even Schoenthaler's critics admit--was conducted
> flawlessly, showed similar conclusions. Bernard Gesch, physiologist at
> the University of Oxford, decided to test the anecdotal clues in the

We know that most mass killers started with cruelty to animals.

Beach Runner wrote:
>
>
> Steve wrote:
>
>> "You do what you eat" by Marco Visscher
>> Ode issue: 26
>>
>> From
>> www.odemagazine.com/article.php?aID=4143
>> ------------------------------------------------
>>
>> "Forget tougher punishments and hiring more police. The solution to
>> crime and violence is on your plate. Here's how healthy food can reduce
>> aggressive behaviour."
>>
>> At first glance there seems nothing special about the students at this
>> high school in Appleton, Wisconsin. They appear calm, interact
>> comfortably with one another, and are focused on their schoolwork. No
>> apparent problems.
>>
>> And yet a couple of years ago, there was a police officer patrolling the
>> halls at this school for developmentally challenged students. Many of
>> the students were troublemakers, there was a lot of fighting with
>> teachers and some of the kids carried weapons. School counsellor Greg
>> Bretthauer remembers that when he first came to Appleton Central
>> Alternative High School back in 1997 for a job interview: "I found the
>> students to be rude, obnoxious and ill-mannered." He had no desire to
>> work with them, and turned down the job.
>>
>> Several years later, Bretthauer took the job after seeing that the
>> atmosphere at the school had changed profoundly Today he describes the
>> students as "calm and well-behaved" in a new video documentary, Impact
>> of Fresh, Healthy Foods on Learning and Behavior. Fights and offensive
>> behaviour are extremely rare and the police officer is no longer needed.
>> What happened?
>>
>> A glance through the halls at Appleton Central Alternative provides the
>> answer. The vending machines have been replaced by water coolers. The
>> lunchroom took hamburgers and French fries off the menu, making room for
>> fresh vegetables and fruits, whole-grain bread and a salad bar.
>> Is that all? Yes, that's all. Principal LuAnn Coenen is still surprised
>> when she speaks of the "astonishing" changes at the school since she
>> decided to drastically alter the offering of food and drinks eight years
>> ago. "I don't have the vandalism. I don't have the litter. I don't have
>> the need for high security."
>>
>> It is tempting to dismiss what happened at Appleton Central Alternative
>> as the wild fantasies of health-food and vitamin-supplement fanatics.
>> After all, scientists have never empirically investigated the changes at
>> the school. Healthy nutrition--especially the effects of vitamin and
>> mineral supplements--appears to divide people into opposing camps of
>> fervent believers, who trust the anecdotes about diets changing people's
>> lives, and equally fervent sceptics, who dismiss these stories as
>> hogwash.
>>
>> And yet it is not such a radical idea, that food can affect the way our
>> brains work--and thus our behaviour. The brain is an active machine: It
>> only accounts for two percent of our body weight, but uses a whopping 20
>> percent of our energy. In order to generate that energy, we need a broad
>> range of nutrients--vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids--that
>> we get from nutritious meals. The question is: What are the consequences
>> when we increasingly shovel junk food into our bodies?
>>
>> It is irrefutably true that our eating habits have dramatically changed
>> over the past 30-odd years. "Convenience foods" has become a catch-all
>> term that covers all sorts of frozen, microwaved and out-and-out junk
>> foods. The ingredients of the average meal have been transported
>> thousands of kilometres before landing on our plates; it's not hard to
>> believe that some of the vitamins were lost in the process.
>> We already know obesity can result if we eat too much junk food, but
>> there may be greater consequences of unhealthy diets than extra weight
>> around our middles. Do examples like the high school in Wisconsin point
>> to a direct connection between nutrition and behaviour? Is it simply
>> coincidence that the increase in aggression, crime and social incivility
>> in Western society has paralleled a spectacular change in our diet?
>> Could there be a link between the two?
>>
>> Stephen Schoenthaler, a criminal-justice professor at California State
>> University in Stanislaus, has been researching the relationship between
>> food and behaviour for more than 20 years He has proven that reducing
>> the sugar and fat intake in our daily diets leads to higher IQs and
>> better grades in school. When Schoenthaler supervised a change in meals
>> served at 803 schools in low-income neighbourhoods in New York City, the
>> number of students passing final exams rose from 11 percent below the
>> national average to five percent above. He is best known for his work in
>> youth detention centers. One of his studies showed that the number of
>> violations of house rules fell by 37 percent when vending machines were
>> removed and canned food in the cafeteria was replaced by fresh
>> alternatives. He summarizes his findings this way: "Having a bad diet
>> right now is a better predictor of future violence than past violent
>> behaviour."
>>
>> But Schoenthaler's work is under fire. A committee from his own
>> university has recommended suspending him for his allegedly improper
>> research methods: Schoenthaler didn't always use a placebo as a control
>> measure and his group of test subjects wasn't always chosen at random.
>> This criticism doesn't refute Schoenthaler's research that nutrition has
>> an effect on behaviour. It means most of his studies simply lack the
>> scientific soundness needed to earn the respect of his colleagues.
>>
>> Recent research that--even Schoenthaler's critics admit--was conducted
>> flawlessly, showed similar conclusions. Bernard Gesch, physiologist at
>> the University of Oxford, decided to test the anecdotal clues in the
>
> We know that most mass killers started with cruelty to animals.

WTF does that have to do with the above article, dumb ass?