From The Daily Telegraph on Monday 3rd February 2003
Junk food to be taken off jail menus in a study to reduce violence
By Auslan Cramb
(Filed: 03/02/2003)
Chips, pies and sweets are to be taken off the menu at three prisons during
a study intended to reduce violence.
Initial trials last year at a prison in Aylesbury, Bucks, suggested that
raising the levels of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids in the diet of
teenage prisoners reduced anti-social behaviour.
The charity Natural Justice will now carry out more detailed trials for the
Home Office and the Scottish Prison Service at jails including Polmont young
offenders institute in central Scotland to discover which elements in the
diet determine behaviour.
Bernard Gesch, a physiologist at Oxford University, is leading the study,
which will take place this summer. He said: "Research suggests that we may
have seriously under-estimated the importance of nutrition for our social
behaviour.
"Since the 1950s there has been a ten-fold increase in offences. How else
can we explain that but by diet? It is not down to genetics. The main change
over that period has been in nutrients."
The £2 million project will involve participants being prevented from eating
large amounts of high fat, high carbohydrate foods, sweets and surgary
drinks. They will eat more fruit and vegetables and will take nutrient
capsules.
Last year a team led by Mr Gesch carried out a study that suggested inmates
who took supplements committed 26 per cent fewer disciplinary offences than
those who unknowingly took placebo pills.
You can read earlier stories in the Telegraph at:-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk; you will have to register, then go to U.K News
and scroll down page and you will get to the above News Story, plus links to
the another related articles below:-
2003: Junk food 'may lead to eating addiction'
26 June 2002: Vitamin pills help violent prisoners behave better, plus
External related links:-
External links:-
Natural Justice
Home Office
Scottish Prison Service
British Nutrition Foundation
In the news - The Food Doctor
I have an interest in this story due to my own individual research around
Autistic Spectrum Disorders(ASD's) and Specific Learning
Difficulties(SpLd's) and Optimum Nutrition and that there are too many
neuro-diverse( research in U.K states that there are between 70/90% with
ASD's and SpLd's incarcerated within the Criminal Justice System)
individuals who are incarcerated within prisons, young-offender institutions
and Mental Health/ Secure Hospital and residential institutions who are
believe are genetically sensitive(chemically and food/drink
allergies/intolerances to environmental toxins which causes
'brain-allergies.
This means that research like the one mentioned within various prisons in
the U.K. is a breakthrough to neuro-diverse individuals having informed
choices to alternative and safe treatments and clinical nutrition could be
the breakthrough for many individuals with ASD's and SpLd's and experiencing
Mental Health, in which have a
neurobiological/biochemical basis.
This is a basic human rights issue which is starting to be addressed and we
should welcome this research.
Regards
Colin Revell
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