“Up” seems to be the operative word these days.

Gas prices are up. Energy consumption is up. Obesity is up. Processed food consumption is up. Tuition is up. Insurance premiums are up. And over the last 20 years, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder diagnoses, or ADHD in common parlance, is up.

There are many theories on what accounts for the uptick in ADHD diagnoses. But if you ask me, or any other honest nutritionist, it traces back to the consistent rise in processed food consumption.

ADHD is a disease common in both children and adults where they’ll present a consistent pattern of behavior impulsivity, restlessness, or an inability to remain focused on a singular task. It’s estimated that between 1987 and 2001, the number of people diagnosed with ADHD rose from 500,000 to 6 million: a 1,100 percent rise!

To counteract the ADHD sufferers’ symptoms, doctors turn to the almighty pill, usually Ritalin, hoping that its sedative powers will give patients’ some semblance of normalcy.

But drugs like Ritalin don’t do anything of the sort. They only mask the root of the problem. As Beverly Eakman says, author of “Cloning of the American Mind,” “These drugs make children more manageable, not necessarily better.”

Despite Eakman and several of her contemporaries’ assertions, between 1997 and 2001, doctor’s prescriptions for ADHD rose nearly 40 percent, from 15 million to 21 million!

The problem is that doctors, many of whom are in the pockets of major pharmaceutical companies, are too lazy or disinterested in determining the underlying causes of ADHD. If they put more trust in the scientific data, hopefully, they’d take the appropriate steps needed in solving the problem by consulting with parents to discuss the average diet of their children.

The research into the link between poor diet and ADHD has been limited for several reasons, not the least of which is doctors’ fearing pharmaceutical companies’ backlash. Nevertheless, studies have been published on the links between ADHD and food allergies, food coloring, refined sugars and food additives.

In the journal Applied Psychophysiology and Feedback, researchers from several New York university departments of psychology published “Nutrition in the Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Neglected but Important Aspect.” After reviewing years of studies on the subject, they determined that “diet modification plays a major role in the management of ADHD and should be considered as part of the treatment protocol.”

In their summary, the researchers admit more research needs to be done and that “not all children respond to the same offending substance” but “there is increasing evidence that…children with behavioral problems who are sensitive to one or more food components may precipitate or contribute to their hyperactivity disorder.”

But don’t suggest anything of the sort to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association. As they do on their web site, they’ll tell you that the processed foods-ADHD link is a myth (Interesting that on their web site, they cite the National Institutes of Health findings that this apparent myth “may apply” to some children).

It’s time for doctors to get their heads out of the sand and face facts. Schools and parents are beginning to understand the devastation wreaking havoc on American youth by banning sodas and offering healthier lunch selections.

The mind and body function best when supplied with the proper vitamins and minerals natural foods bring. Processed foods literally sap those nutrients away, leaving our minds and bodies numb, similar to the effects of Ritalin.

Instead of wasting money on mind-altering drugs, it’s time to invest our money into mind empowering foods for the sake of our kids and their future.