Is your child addicted to gaming? A neurologist explains the red flags

Gaming is not harmful in itself, but when it begins to replace sleep, studies and social interaction, it can affect a child’s mental and physical development. Neurologist Dr Kunal Bahrani explains why gaming addiction is increasing.

From mobile phones to gaming consoles, screens are now a part of a child’s life. What once started as a harmless way to relax has slowly turned into hours of uninterrupted gameplay for many young users. Across India, parents are increasingly concerned as homework gets delayed, sleep shrinks, and outdoor play disappears.

Dr Kunal Bahrani, Chairman and Group Director, Neurology at Yatharth Hospitals, says the issue is not gaming itself, but the lack of balance. “Gaming is not inherently harmful. The concern begins when it starts replacing essential developmental activities like sleep, study, physical play and real-world social interaction.”

Why is gaming addiction rising

The surge in gaming addiction is closely linked to accessibility. Smartphones are widely available, internet plans are affordable and multiplayer platforms connect children instantly. “Today’s games are designed to maximise engagement. Reward systems, competitive levels and visual stimulation activate the brain’s dopamine pathways, making children want to keep playing,” explains Dr Bahrani. For many children, gaming becomes more than entertainment; it becomes an escape.

“Children dealing with academic pressure, loneliness or boredom often turn to gaming because it provides immediate gratification and a sense of achievement that may feel harder to attain in real life.” Over time, this virtual reward cycle can become habit-forming.

Early signs parents should watch for

• The first symptoms of addiction include:
• Irritable when asked to stop gaming
• Giving gaming priority over studies and meals
• Loss of interest in other hobbies and outdoor activities

“Parents may observe a decline in academic performance, mood swings, withdrawal from social activities, or even secrecy about screen use,” explains Dr Bahrani.

Physical symptoms such as headaches, eye strain, and fatigue are also experienced. Staying up late to play games disturbs the sleep patterns, which in turn affects concentration and moods the following day.

How gaming affects the developing brain

Excessive gaming impacts more than daily routine. “When gaming becomes compulsive, it can interfere with attention span, impulse control and emotional regulation,” Dr Bahrani notes. “Children’s brains are still developing, and prolonged overstimulation can alter behaviour patterns.”
This does not mean occasional gaming is dangerous. The risk lies in frequency, duration and emotional dependence.

How parents can prevent gaming addiction
Prevention is about structure, not punishment. “Strict bans often backfire. Guidance, consistency and involvement are far more effective,” advises Dr Bahrani. Practical steps include:

• Setting realistic screen-time limits
• Keeping devices out of bedrooms
• Establishing device-free meal times
• Encouraging sports, music or creative hobbies
• Open communication matters just as much as rules

“Talk to your child about what they are playing. Understand the appeal. When parents show interest instead of judgment, children are more likely to cooperate.” Leading by example is equally important. If adults are constantly on their phones, enforcing boundaries becomes difficult.

When to seek professional help

If gaming begins to severely affect behaviour, academic performance or emotional stability, professional guidance may be necessary. “Early intervention from a paediatrician, neurologist or counsellor can prevent long-term psychological impact,” Dr Bahrani says. Timely action can help restore balance before patterns become deeply ingrained.

Technology is here to stay. Gaming, when balanced, can even enhance cognitive skills and strategic thinking. The goal is not elimination but moderation. With awareness, involvement and consistent boundaries, parents can ensure that screens remain a source of entertainment, not addiction.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

 

Some kids need more protection from ultra-processed food. Here's why

Back when Kerri Boutelle's children were younger, she remembers watching how kids would eat ice cream cones. She noticed a big difference between some siblings.

"One child would eat half of the ice cream cone and put it down," says Boutelle, who's a psychologist at the University of California, San Diego. Another child would eat their cone extremely fast, grab the leftover cone from the first child, and eat that one, too.

For more than 30 years, Boutelle has helped children with eating disorders and obesity. This informal experiment, she says, illustrates something Boutelle and other scientists are starting to realize: not all children respond to ultra-processed foods in the same way.

Some children are born with what scientists call a strong food reward drive, says psychologist Ashley Gearhardt at the University of Michigan. They feel extra strong motivation to eat. They're hungry often, may eat quickly, and they don't easily feel full or satiated. Kids with a strong food reward drive can regulate their eating with whole or minimally processed foods, she says. But with ultra-processed food, they struggle.

Popular advice around ultra-processed foods probably isn't going to work well when a kid has a strong food reward drive, Gearhardt adds. They need different help and guidance to feel good and stay healthy in our society, where these foods are ubiquitous.

"A strong reward drive served people in times of famine, but it's a nightmare in an ultra-processed food environment," she says.

Does your child have a strong food reward drive?

Today children in the U.S. obtain nearly 70% of their calories — on average — from ultra-processed foods, which contain ingredients rarely found in your kitchen, such as preservatives, natural or artificial flavors and emulsifiers. Too many of these foods are tied to a whole host of health problems, including a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, depression and obesity.

There's a growing consensus among scientists that many ultra-processed foods trigger people to overeat. "Ultra-processed foods are engineered for people to over-consume them," says psychiatrist Agnes Ayton at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London.

These foods derail two critical aspects of our eating behaviors, Ayton says. They can prompt people to start eating even when they're not hungry, and they can keep us eating even when we're full.

"In our lab, we see that people are pretty good at understanding their hunger and satiety signals when they're eating real food," Gearhardt says. But once you start putting ultra-processed foods on their plates, she says, many people are really bad at eating what their body needs to maintain their weight.

And when you have a strong food reward drive, regulating eating around ultra-processed foods becomes even harder.

Let's go back to Kerri Boutelle's experiment with ice cream and look more closely at each child.

The first kid, who ate only half the cone, has a lower food reward drive. With kids like this, ultra-processed foods don't alter their behavior all that much, Boutelle says. They typically eat when they're hungry and listen to their satiety signals. "They just eat to get full, and then they move on," she says.

 

The second child, who ate quickly and grabbed the leftovers, has a strong food reward drive. "They want to eat all the time, and it doesn't matter if they're full," Boutelle says. "Those kids are going to gain weight in today's environment" — unless parents help to protect them from the tricks of ultra-processed food.

"I always tell parents, 'the environment today tricks kids into overeating,' " she says. "What you can do as a parent is make your home as safe as it can be for your children."

How to help kids with a strong food reward drive

1. Don't keep a bunch of ultra-processed foods around and then try to regulate how much children eat.
 
Some families store ultra-processed foods in their home, such as boxes of crackers, granola bars, pretzels and cookies. Then they try to teach children how to eat only a small amount of them at a time, Boutelle says.

"But that's really difficult for children," she says. "And it's setting them up for failure." In fact, that strategy is really difficult for many adults, as well.

2. Try to keep ultra-processed foods out of your home, but allow them elsewhere.

A more effective strategy is not to buy these foods in the first place. And we know this is hard because the grocery stores are full of them. "But for some kids, it will really be beneficial," Boutelle says.

 Then you can help children learn to make healthy choices around ultra-processed foods when they're outside the home. Our society provides many opportunities to eat these foods, including parties, sporting events and even school, says psychologist Katherine Schaumberg at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

You don't want to forbid these foods entirely, she says. That strategy could backfire. "In our culture, food is connection. Having these foods in social settings can facilitate emotional health," she says. "That can outweigh the physical cost of them."

3. If you can't keep them all out, keep no more than three ultra-processed items in your house.

Studies show that variety increases eating. So, Boutelle says, limit the options in your home to only a few ultra-processed foods. For example, keep one bag of pretzels and one package of granola bars in the pantry, and that's it. "If you have ice cream, have only one kind," she says.

4. Bring ultra-processed foods into your home only on special occasions.

To help her two boys learn healthy eating habits, Ashley Gearhardt at the University of Michigan keeps her home basically free of ultra-processed foods. "We have minimally processed foods available to them anytime, except bedtime," she says. "If they're hungry, I tell them, 'Grab a banana, an apple, or some cashews. Go grab the minimally processed popcorn that we've got going on.' "

Then she buys ultra-processed foods infrequently and only for special events. "Like, 'Oh, we're having a bunch of friends over. Sure, we'll order a bunch of crappy pizza.' "

"We do not forbid ultra-processed foods, but our baseline is foundationally real food."

This approach works even with her son who has a strong food reward drive, she says. Because he can regulate easily with real food, and he doesn't have to keep resisting the urge for one more cracker, one more pretzel or one more bite of ice cream.

  

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement
https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

Too Much Iron Can be Harmful. Here's How to Lower it.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world. Menstruating women are especially prone to it since they lose blood every month. But too much iron can also be a health risk, and it is more common than you think – about 1 in 200 people suffer from a hereditary condition that causes them to absorb too much iron. 

 

If your blood tests came back with high iron, here is what you can change in your diet to balance things out. 

 

A bit about iron

First - why do we even need iron, and what can too much of it do to your body? Iron is mostly used to build blood and transfer oxygen to every part of the body. Iron molecules rarely flow freely in the bloodstream, where they can cause harm and oxidative stress; they are linked to a protein called transferrin.

Too much iron can increase the risk of arthritis, cancer, liver problems, diabetes, heart failure, and infections. If you’re not menstruating, your body does not have a built-in mechanism to dispose of iron. On average, we only lose about 1 mg of it a day. 

 

That is why the absorption of iron is highly regulated in the body, and increasing iron levels may even be challenging to some. But to others, gradual iron buildup poses a risk of iron overload. Since the body cannot dispose of iron on its own, it accumulates in several different tissues, where it causes oxidative stress. Usually, iron is stored in the liver, heart, and pancreas. If the pancreas becomes damaged, it can lead to diabetes.

What are the symptoms of high iron?

 

Many people won’t notice any symptoms unless the situation is severe. However, do keep an open eye for the following symptoms: 

 

- Fatigue 

- Joint pain 

- Abdominal pain or an upset stomach 

- Reduced libido, a shrinking of the testicles, or a pause or irregularities in menstruation.

If your blood test came back with high iron, or you suffer from hemochromatosis (a hereditary condition that causes you to absorb up to four times more iron than average), here are some dietary recommendations to follow: 

 

* Foods rich in calcium interfere with iron absorption. Eggs and soy are great examples. 

 

* Consume antioxidants from fruits and vegetables, with special emphasis on tomatoes, beets, and blueberries. This protects your body from oxidative stress. 

 

* Prefer animal protein from cooked fish and chicken over red meat. 

 

* Tea and coffee also interfere with iron absorption in the body. 

 

You may also consider consulting your physician about chelation therapy: a type of treatment containing chelating molecules, usually taken orally. Chelators bind to other molecules and pull them out as they leave the body. Do not take a chelator without consulting a physician, as this may deplete your body of essential minerals. 

 

Another great way of balancing your iron blood count is by donating blood. 

 

What should you avoid?

* Avoid taking multivitamins or any other supplements that may contain iron or Vitamin C. The latter increases iron absorption. 

 

* Avoid raw shellfish, such as oysters. They contain high amounts of easy-to-absorb iron. 

 

* Avoid fortified grains - those can be found mainly in the US and the UK, and they contain high levels of iron. 

 

* Reduce alcohol intake – your liver already experiences plenty of oxidative stress. 

 

* Reduce red meat intake. 

 

* Avoid iron cookware. Yes, we are talking about your cast-iron skillet.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com     is my latest addition to my blogs. I'm going to add posts there, do give me your valuable feed back on my blogs. Thanks a lot, take care, be healthy and be happy.