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An Alternative History of Hyperactivity
Food Additives and the Feingold Diet
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Matthew Smith
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2011
About this book
In 1973, San Francisco allergist Ben Feingold created an uproar by claiming that synthetic food additives triggered hyperactivity, then the most commonly diagnosed childhood disorder in the United States. He contended that the epidemic should not be treated with drugs such as Ritalin but, instead, with a food additive-free diet. Parents and the media considered his treatment, the Feingold diet, a compelling alternative. Physicians, however, were skeptical and designed dozens of trials to challenge the idea. The resulting medical opinion was that the diet did not work and it was rejected.
Matthew Smith asserts that those scientific conclusions were, in fact, flawed. An Alternative History of Hyperactivity explores the origins of the Feingold diet, revealing why it became so popular, and the ways in which physicians, parents, and the public made decisions about whether it was a valid treatment for hyperactivity. Arguing that the fate of Feingold's therapy depended more on cultural, economic, and political factors than on the scientific protocols designed to test it, Smith suggests the lessons learned can help resolve medical controversies more effectively.
Matthew Smith asserts that those scientific conclusions were, in fact, flawed. An Alternative History of Hyperactivity explores the origins of the Feingold diet, revealing why it became so popular, and the ways in which physicians, parents, and the public made decisions about whether it was a valid treatment for hyperactivity. Arguing that the fate of Feingold's therapy depended more on cultural, economic, and political factors than on the scientific protocols designed to test it, Smith suggests the lessons learned can help resolve medical controversies more effectively.
Author / Editor information
MATTHEW SMITH is a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, UK. He received the American Association for the History of Medicine's Pressman-Burroughs Wellcome Award in 2010.
Reviews
"This exciting book makes a significant contribution to the history of hyperactivity by investigating the Feingold diet from many different vantage points and examining the historical context in which this treatment was situated."
— Cynthia Connolly, author of Saving Sickly Children: The Tuberculosis Preventorium in American LifeTopics
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Frontmatter
i -
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Contents
vii -
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Acknowledgments
ix -
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List of Abbreviations
xi -
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Chapter 1. Food for Thought
1 -
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Chapter 2. Why Your Child Is Hyperactive
15 -
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Chapter 3. Feingold Goes Public
36 -
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Chapter 4. The Problem with Hyperactivity
51 -
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Chapter 5. “Food Just Isn’t What It Used to Be”
68 -
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Chapter 6. The Feingold Diet in the Media
87 -
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Chapter 7. Testing the Feingold Diet
111 -
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Chapter 8. Feingold Families
131 -
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Chapter 9. Conclusion
153 -
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Bibliography
169 -
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Notes
195 -
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Index
235 -
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About the Author
244
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
September 23, 2019
eBook ISBN:
9780813551029
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook ISBN:
9780813551029
Keywords for this book
medical controversies; 1973; San Francisco; synthetic chemicals; Synthetic food; Feingold diet; Treatment for hyperactivity; Mistreatment; Ben Feingold; Matthew Smith
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
