Total Load Theory

The total load theory of stressors on a child’s body is part of what is behind one in two children in America being diagnosed with a chronic illness. Everyone is asking, “Why are we so sick?” There is no easy answers to that question!

It is partly due to the “total load” of too many stressors on a child’s body and not enough health-promoting daily life supports (such as nutrition, sleep, movement and more).

Stressors come from lots of places:

  • Our biological makeup (genetic and epigenetic vulnerabilities). Read more: It’s Not Just DNA
  • Personal lifestyle choices (what we eat, products we consume, activities we enjoy) The way we live our lives in the modern world. Read more: The Cost of Modern Living 
  • Toxins in everything we consume from the air and water to food and medicine. Learn more about environmental toxicity
  • Insufficient sleep and exercise
  • Inappropriate expectations
  • Family relationships and events

At the heart of it, our planet is sick and so are the people who inhabit it. Read more: Sick Planet, Sick People.

The diagram above depicts six categories of STRESS. Taken together, we call it a “body burden” or “total load theory,” a term used by Patricia Lemer in her book Outsmarting Autism.

Fortunately, once we are aware of the individual factors, we can work on reducing them. Let’s get started!

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