Fatherhood, Skeptically

The TV is on a lot at my house; it's one of the things I worry about a lot. For instance, I'll throw on something I've seen before that is kid friendly (more often than not some Sci-Fi show like Star Trek ) when I'm doing chores. The boys don't usually pay attention, unless the theme songs are playing; they love those. But sometimes they do, and then I worry if I'm setting them up for failure. There's precious little published on the effects of screen time on children; both physically and psychologically. Early this year, a review  was published discussing the effect of screen time on obesity rates in children. As nice as it would have been for this to shed some light on any potential dangers, it seems to only have provided minimal understanding. In light of this I thought it would be worthwhile discuss this paper and to overview the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations concerning screen time. As I alluded to before, the study doesn't ...

My youngest son O will soon be turning one; a whole trip around the sun. As I prepare for the influx of sugary snacks, chiefly cake , I'm reminded of the common scapegoat of parents with hyperactive children, "Oh, must have been all that sugar she ate." In recent history, sugar has become somewhat of a boogie man. The media likes to portray it as the source of all our health woes: weight gain, diabetes, heart disease; the list goes on and on. The weight (pun intended) of sugar's importance on health is still somewhat debated within science (and a discussion for another day). It is clear that moderation (as with all things) is key. But one thing is for certain: it doesn't cause hyperactivity in children. Let's discuss the history of this myth. Near as I can tell, the myth began with the publishing of Feingold diet in 1973 by Benjamin Feingold, M.D. His diet advocated for the avoidance of salicylate, artificial food coloring, and artificial flavors as a...