CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOUR ALTOGETHER WORSE FINDS NEW SURVEY

05 October 2005

A new survey by Altogether Better organic milk has found that 82% of people believe that children’s behaviour has worsened over the last 25 years. 81% thought diet was a major influence, followed by music, TV and computer games (59%) and the decline of the traditional nuclear family (42%).

While every generation tends to believe that moral standards are slipping, the World Health Organisation has warned that the UK has “worryingly high levels” of behavioural problems1 and research into children’s behaviour published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that lying, stealing and disobedience along with anxiety and depression have increased since the mid 1980s2.

Nutritionist Jane Clarke commented, “It’s too simplistic to isolate diet alone as a cause of bad behaviour, but mounting evidence is proving that it has a greater impact than previously thought. Children today eat more nutritionally valueless food than their predecessors; for example on average drinking two-thirds more fizzy drinks than milk, so it’s no wonder that they are bouncing off the walls.”

Research published in Pediatrics earlier this year found that deficiencies in Omega 3 essential fatty acids may be contributing to children’s behavioural difficulties3. The research substantiates earlier studies linking deficiencies of Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids with a range of behavioural and learning difficulties4,5.

Although Omega 3 fatty acids are easily sourced by eating oily fish, most people in the UK are deficient in the nutrient because they don’t like oily fish. Altogether Better organic milk is a good alternative source of Omega 3 fatty acids containing over twice as much (128% more) naturally occurring Omega 3s than non organic milk due to the more natural diets of organic cows. The natural diets also result in milk which is up to 121% higher in Vitamin E (alpha-tocopheral) and 39% in Vitamin A (trans retinol), compared to data for non-organic milk.

The increased levels of nutrients are a result of Altogether Better cows’ diet of fresh, natural pasture rich in a variety of grasses and wild plants, including red clover6. And naturally, Altogether Better farmers do not spray their pastures with synthetic chemical pesticides or fertilizers; they never feed their cows GM cattle feed and only use antibiotics if the cow is actually ill. As a result, the cows are happier, healthier and less stressed, which helps to produce milk that’s Altogether Better for you, your family - and them.

The milk comes in 4 pint bottles, retails at £1.64 and is available in selected Sainsbury’s stores nationwide. Visit www.omsco.co.uk for stockist details. Consumers can call the Altogether Better hotline on 0800 389 4998 for further enquiries.