Students are what they eat.(The Goodness Of America)

We hear much these days about "hyperactive" kids suffering from attention deficit disorder (A.D.D.) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (A.D.H.D.). In too many cases, overzealous school administrators pressure parents to treat fidgety students with dangerous drugs such as Ritalin. However, the staff of Central Alternative High School in Appleton (CAHS), Wisconsin, which educates students with behavioral problems sent there from 12 area schools, had a better solution.

Prior to 1997, CAHS had many of the discipline problems associated with an "alternative" school, even including some students carrying weapons. Things had become so bad that a police officer was recruited to be on the staff. In that year, however, a private firm called Natural Ovens of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, began supplying the school with a healthy dietary program. Following the health-conscious firm's recommendations, the school removed vending machines stocked with junk food and added healthy salads and additive-free foods to the menu. During a five-year period following implementation of the healthy-eating program, CAHS principal LuAnn Coenen reported no incidences of students dropping out, being expelled, using drugs, carrying weapons, or attempting suicide. The principal stated: "I can't buy the argument that it's too costly for schools to provide good nutrition for their students. I found that one cost will reduce another. I don't have the vandalism. I don't ...