You'd have to be living in a cave to not know about the childhood obesity problem we're experiencing not only here in the US, but in other countries who have adopted our fast-food-way-of-eating lifestyle. So, being the good parents that we are, we are have taken the (Fat) bull by the horns and are on the no/low fat bandwagon. Get the kids off the couch and away from the computer, eat their fruits and veggies, and get healthy, right? Half right. Something's missing. Something major is missing from our kids? diets.

Look at the store shelves? ?lite? food, 1% fat, 2% fat, low-fat, no fat! But wait! We need some fat in our diets to metabolize those fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, to gently cushion our internal organs, and keep our skin and hair looking healthy. Eating less saturated fat, the kind that's solid at room temperature, that's a good thing. Ah, but there are fats that we aren't getting enough of! I'm referring to, PUFA's (Polyunsaturated fatty acids). Specifically, the long chain PUFA's found in the fatty acids of fatty fish. Apologies to Mrs. Paul's, but I'm not talking fish sticks, here. Cod is a great tasting, low fat fish, but definitely not on the menu when it comes to PUFA's. I'm referring to Omega 3's from fatty fish: salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, and albacore tuna.

The quickly mounting research regarding the lack of Omega 3's in the diet is hard to deny, specifically, its relationship to neurodevelopmental disorders. Critical to brain development (Every expectant mom should be taking a molecularly distilled, guaranteed contaminate free Omega 3 supplement), its role in brain function is also documented. I have a friend with a ten year old son who has a short term memory deficit. She began giving him a liquid Omega 3 supplement high in DHA (One of the fatty acids in Omega 3), and he said to her, ?Mom, I actually feel smarter since I'm taking this stuff!? Was it just a coincidence that the grades on his next report card all went up across the board? I think not! Take, for example, a 2006 double blind, placebo controlled study from the U. of Southern Australia where Omega 3 marine oil supplements bettered vitamins and minerals with a group of 132 kids with ADHD. I think you'll agree with me that clearly, research is warranted in this area, not only for ADHD but dyslexia, autism, DCD, depression, anorexia, the list goes on.

As a parent, I want the best for my own child. I know, although she likes it, that she'd balk at eating fatty fish four times a week. I urge you to find the right PUFA's for your family. I'm thrilled that mine found an easy to take, natural Omega 3 supplement which not only helps my daughter function in the classroom, but also helps to keep her ?tween? hormones in check!