Criminal Appetite: The Dark Side of Poor Nutrition with Stephen J. Schoenthaler

Have you ever wondered if there’s a link between what we eat and how we behave? Could the food we consume influence mental health issues—or even contribute to criminal behavior? Today, we’re exploring these questions with a true pioneer in this field—Stephen Schoenthaler, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Criminal Justice at California State University, Stanislaus. With over 50 years of groundbreaking research, Schoenthaler has been at the forefront of discovering how our diet impacts not only our mental health but also behaviors associated with criminality and aggression.

In this episode, we’ll hear about his extraordinary experiences teaching at Attica Correctional Facility, where his interactions with inmates made a huge impact on his life at a professional and personal level. You will also discover how diet affects social behavior, how food insecurity plays a role in juvenile delinquency, and why junk food and sugar can lead to behavioral disturbances.

Professor Schoenthaler will also shed light on how nutrition influences cognitive skills, anxiety, and antisocial behaviors in children and young adults. We’ll talk about the essential benefits of avoiding ultra-processed foods and examine the holistic role nutrition plays in children’s and young adults’ overall well-being, including mental health.

Get ready for a compelling conversation that will challenge the way you think about food, behavior, and the deeper factors shaping the world’s criminal justice system —and how conscious nourishment can help us create a more empathetic and connected world.

https://www.csustan.edu/people/dr-stephen-schoenthaler https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen-Schoenthaler https://novainstituteforhealth.org/nutrition-behavior-and-the-criminal-justice-system-what-took-so-long-an-interview-with-dr-stephen-j-schoenthaler/

Articles: Schoenthaler SJ, Prescott SL, Logan AC. Homicide or Happiness: Did Folate Fortification and Public Health Campaigns Influence Homicide Rates and the Great American Crime Decline? Nutrients. 2024 Apr 6;16(7):1075. doi: 10.3390/nu16071075. PMID: 38613108; PMCID: PMC11013728. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38613108/

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf