We are designed to feel anxiety. Anxiety is protective because it helps us survive by warning us of dangers.
Everyone experiences anxiety, although some of us get so anxious that we wonder if we can handle it. And sometimes our anxiety may be unreliable, giving us false alerts.
Luckily, there are a number of relatively simple, effective, and inexpensive ways to deal with anxiety. ...continue reading
One difficulty with mental health, and perhaps especially dieting, obesity, and eating disorders, is that much of our conventional wisdom is inaccurate.
For example, nearly everyone knows that diet and exercise are essential for weight loss, right?
What most don't know is ...continue reading
Yoni Freedhoff's article on parenting children who are overweight argues that child obesity is not a problem of personal choice or too little will power. Young children who are overweight are well-aware that they are overweight. They have already suffered negative consequences, such as bullying, lectures, and shaming.
The primary problem is that we are living in a culture in which a flood of calories comes at kids. For children eat Froot Loops for breakfast and Happy Meals for dinner, over-consumption of calories is the norm. Who decided what these children would eat? Who bought those items?
Freedhoff's suggestion to parents who are concerned about their children's health and weight: "Live the life you want your children to live."
This journal article on mental health and nutrition explains the role of specific dietary components.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738337