The effect of the Feingold diet on 'normal' school children P

Abstract

Approximately 300 children in seven primary (elementary) schools used the Feingold diet for two weeks. Ratings were made by teachers before and after use of the diet on questionnaires developed from Conners' long teacher questionnaire. The questionnaire incorporated Conners' hyperactivity factor items, but related to the normal or average child, by referring to most children. Of the total sample, 8.5% improved by five points or more. The mean before diet scores of children who improved were below the cut off value for hyperactivity, indicating hyperactivity itself is not a necessary condition for improvement. Item by item analysis of the response showed that the behavior problems mostly likely to show improvement were distractability, attention span, fiddling, and demands for attention. Parents provided information on the additive foods being ingested by their children. Those children who were reported to be taking a great deal of additive were found to rate significantly higher in behavioral problems compared with children receiving little additive.