anybody that thinks sugar doesn't get kids hyped up hasn't been to a kid's birthday party.
It's a birthday party, kids are going to get excited wether or not they have sugar.
But on the other hand, I think for most people when you have enough sugar, it will effect you.
The kid is hyper because he's at a party, not because of the food.
Try holding a kid's birthday party at a pizza place, with a birthday pizza. You'll find that the kids act JUST as hyper.
As a teacher of a Sunday School class of 3-5 year olds, I can honestly say that I see a marked difference in the kids who come in after eating donuts or something like that, for breakfast, and those that do not. I think a lot of ADHD cases could be fixed by cutting down on a kids sugar intake, and giving them more excercise time during school.
If the child is given good food, such as cheese, the calming effect is remarkable. I think most parents will agree that pure dessert food will make a kid jumpy and hard to manage while protein will be calming.
It's not the sugar. It's the food coloring (especially red) or it's the guar gum or it's something else, but it's not the sugar.