NUTRITION K A N S A S C I T Y
STORY BY ANN E. BUTENAS
Food Determines Mood What you eat can affect your mental health, as research suggests a connection between mental illness and nutrition. Mental illness is something that affects millions of Americans. According to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Health, one in five adults experience some sort of mental illness and roughly one in 25 American adults deal with a serious mental illness. Further, NAMI has indicated that about one half of all chronic mental illness issues begins at the age of 14, with three-quarters by the age of 24. Depression takes the lead as being recognized as the leading cause of disability around the world. From a financial standpoint, serious mental illness costs America $193.2 billion in lost earnings every year. The statistics continue and present a rather disheartening story.
20 | HEALTHY KC JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023