Answer to Question 1My children attend a church with 2 families with 5 children that each have a peanut allergy. The church responded by making the church peanut/legume free according to labels on food products. This means all potlucks, social events with food items, snacks before church, snacks during church school, and snacks at vacation Bible school are carefully monitored. Due to the purchase of products that are name brands and have labels, some greater expense has been incurred, although all church members agreed that life takes priority over a persons food preferences. Another artifact of having a peanut free environment is that no homemade products can be brought to any functions. In addition, hand washing is stressed prior to any play or group activities.
Answer to Question 2
Attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are characterized by the inability to focus and concentrate. Some people feel that children develop ADD and ADHD from eating large amounts of sugar-containing foods. Although candy, cookies, and other sweet snacks can cause children to become excited, this is by no means a form of ADD or ADHD. Studies have confirmed that eating sugary foods does not cause hyperactivity in children.