PUTNEY — RE: “Childhood obesity's real problem” [Viewpoint, June 12]:
In discussions about “childhood obesity,” one significant contributor to the epidemic that's rarely mentioned is psychiatric drugs, which children are taking in record numbers. Most psychiatric drugs cause metabolic changes that cause substantial weight gain. Some of these drugs cause extreme weight gain.
Psychiatric drugs also cause other serious medical problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. All psychiatric drugs have medical complications of one kind or another.
The list of these drugs includes antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, ADHD medications, antipsychotics, sleep medications, and others.
We also have a generation of underactive children. They sit still most of the time at school, then come home and are mostly sedentary. More needs to be done about that.
There is more obesity and other ill health among the poor than any other group, and that includes children. High-quality food needs to be available to children in low-income families.
I think it's important not to stigmatize childhood obesity, but it's also important to be honest about what is going on and not minimize it. We have a big huge problem, and we need to take better are of our children.
Obesity is not the only problem; it's just the most visible one of a bunch of serious childhood health problems that are on the rise. The high blood pressure caused by ADHD drugs is one problem. The skyrocketing rate of childhood asthma is another.
I think we should be considering and defining the problem as “childhood ill health.” Most of the serious health problems on the increase in children are highly preventable via better choices not only by their parents, but also by other adults in the community. We adults (and not just parents of children with ill health) need to do our part to make a better world for children.
If we are to be serious about improving the health of our young people, rethinking the use of these drugs needs to be part of the strategy.
On Sept. 19 and 20 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport, Maine, a conference organized by Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving Maine will explore alternatives to psychiatric drugs for children.
I encourage people interested in this topic - including parents, educators, and health care providers - to attend this conference.