Exploiting Sick Children and Families for Profits
You could well ask who would do that. All too often it is the parents of sick children who are more interested in exploiting their children for profit than in finding the solution to cure their child! This does not apply to most of the parents who truly seek help in resolving the problems of their sick children. But where can these families turn for the help that is needed to help their child or loved one?
A case in point is autism and the related disorders. Of the more than two thousand books written on the subject thus far, about one third is by parents who want to tell their plight and that of their child or children. About one third represent the offerings of those who want to provide the families of autistic children with special diets or supplements. (Many of these products are offered by using multi level marketing (MLM) and are often prohibitively expensive, and lacking scientific basis for their use). The other third deal with diagnostics, medical treatments, special equipment, and training.
There are numerous disorders and/or diseases that plague not only children but adults as well. The majorities of these problems is not caused by bacteria or viruses but is due to nutritional deficiencies and are considered to be “man made diseases.”
Virtually every disease or disorder has given rise to support groups, foundations, government agencies, medical facilities, etc., etc. Without fail, each of these except for the government agencies has as their primary goal to raise funds to support research for the noble cause of “finding the cure.” Unfortunately, they appear to have no interest in finding the cure, identifying the cause or a way to prevent any of these problems.
It is quite clear that their dedication is to identify diagnostic techniques such as genetic markers, chemical analyses, or physical characteristics that allow a diagnosis. They are equally concerned to find the miracle pill that might possibly make the problem disappear or a surgical procedure to replace the defective or worn out body component.
They are also concerned with developing special equipment and training to help the patient cope with their condition.
It is sad that adequate financial opportunity is not present to allow identifying the cause or preventing these diseases and disorders. After all, where would the business be if they found a cure as with polio, mumps, measles, diphtheria, smallpox, typhoid, and many others? The diseases and disorders that I speak of such as arthritis, Parkinson’s, ADD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders, Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, obesity, plus thousands of others represent 75% or more of the costs for medical services in the U.S. according to the CDC. If these problems were eliminated the financial impact on the various medical professions would be very serious.
Research recently published on autism, “Resolving the Mystery That Is…Autism Spectrum Disorder” exposes the cause for these disorders, safe sensible ways in which they can be prevented as well as treatments that will help those experiencing these problems. The cause for autism and the factor causing the recent rapid increase in these disorders have been clearly presented. What was not included in the book is why this problem is experienced at a much higher rate in boys than girls. I would like to suggest a theory for this difference.
One of the big differences between the developing bodies of boys and girls is that a greater level of hormone production is required during the early development in boys. This could be causing a greater need for certain nutritional needs in the boys. If the available nutrition level is marginal, then this could be a factor. If the diet provided is complete and balanced and enough food is consumed to maintain growth rate in the normal range these nutritional needs should be met. I know of no other theories that have been proposed to explain why boys would be more likely to have autism
What you need to know is that these diseases and disorders do have known causes. Prevention is possible when the cause is known and the potential for cure is promising based upon the partial success of partial treatments based upon nutritional deficiencies.
The real cause for autism appears to be related to nutritional deficiencies due to some foods not eaten rather than the presence of foods in the diet. Taking away casein, gluten and replacement with protein from beans or peas do not provide the nutritional elements essential for proper development and function of the neurological system. While all of the chemicals needed for ideal development are not fully known, evidence has been shown that adequate supplies are available to prevent this problem when certain foods are provided in the diet of children in the developmental stages.
Dietary recommendations have changed drastically over recent years that have been shown to be grossly deficient in several critical factors. Diets free of high value proteins for proper balance of amino acids, animal fats, cholesterol, vitamins and minerals are simply not capable of providing the essential nutrition necessary for proper development. The diets recommended in earlier times were capable of preventing the autism disorders. A direct relation to increasing autism has been found that relates to changes in dietary practices.
Disclaimer: This article is intended solely to inform and educate on matters concerning nutrition as it relates to health and bodily functions, and not as personal medical advice. Please consult your doctor or medical professional if you have questions regarding your medical condition. If your questions are in regards to nutrition as it relates to your health, it may be a good idea to determine the level of his or her training in the field of nutrition — some medical schools no longer teach courses in nutrition. Some schools do offer such courses as electives to pre-medical students.
Copyright © 2007 Harold Rongey, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the author.
