Posted on 10/03/2009 3:09:15 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
What parent hasn't used candy to pacify a cranky child or head off a brewing tantrum? When reasoning, threats and time-outs fail, a sugary treat often does the trick. But while that chocolate-covered balm may be highly effective in the short term, say British scientists, it may be setting youngsters up for problem behavior later. According to a new study, kids who eat too many treats at a young age risk becoming violent in adulthood.
The research was led by Simon Moore, a senior lecturer in Violence and Society Research at Cardiff University in the U.K., who specializes in the study of vulnerable youngsters. Moore had been investigating the factors that lead children to commit serious crimes, when, during the course of his work, he discovered that "kids with the worst problems tend to be impulsive risk takers, and that these kids had terrible diets - breakfast was a Coke and a bag of chips," he says. (See nine kid foods to avoid.)
Intrigued by this association, Moore turned to the British Cohort Study, a long-term survey of 17,000 people born during a one-week period in April 1970. That study included periodic evaluations of many different aspects of the growing children's lives, such as what they ate, certain health measures and socioeconomic status. Moore plumbed the data for information on kids' diet and their later behavior: at age 10, the children were asked how much candy they consumed, and at age 34, they were questioned about whether they had been convicted of a crime. Moore's analysis suggests a correlation: 69% of people who had been convicted of a violent act by age 34 reported eating candy almost every day as youngsters; 42% of people who had not been arrested for violent behavior reported the same.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
These researchers should demand their money back from whatever schools gave them degrees.
It is called poor parenting and candy/treats only reinforce the bad behavior. The treats themselves have nothing to do with it.
What about wearing diapers? Did you know that 100% of all killers and rapists once wore them?? 100% correlation!!!!
Corn Flakes are just mashed up bits of gypsum like corn stuck together with a liquid sugar cement. Even if it isn’t in your face sweet its still mostly that liquified sugar. I used to eat lots of different types and most cereal flakes are created that way. These days I have switched to an old boy scout favourite up here in Canada called Red River cereal (not sure if it is available in the US or not) and it is very healthy with no sugar but I do add some maple syrup for flavour.
I suppose prosecutors all ate sauerkraut as children
Sugar-coated utrajunk science.
Would you believe there was a recipe bouncing around in the 70’s for “sauerkraut chocolate cake.” You just mixed the kraut in with the cake mix and some eggs and baked, and it was touted as the most wonderful thing. My mother tried it, and I am convinced the recipe was a prank. Cherries fill out a chocolate cake nicely — but the other stuff? Phew and yuck!
And the first thing you learn in either Psychology or Statistics is that Correlational Studies CANNOT be used to establish cause-effect relationships.
True. Even if the correlation is valid, i.e., repeatable, representative of a true correlation, it doesn’t mean cause and effect. The first thing that occured to me was that parents who are lazy and indulgent get poor results.
It’s what’s known in statistics as colinearity. Many traits may be associated.
Yes... like it completely fails to examine the “spoiled-child” hypothesis.
Is said candy stolen?
And every dead person has eaten a carrot.
Good thing we weren’t really allowed to eat candy children and I never cared for sugar soda, chocolate(especially dark) and candy in general.
Never liked cake but, would eat the frosting. Now I don’t care for either.
Use to like Lemon cake but rarely touch it.
I wonder what happens as you get older that things just start getting eliminated for no particular reason?
The real problem is those PEZ Heads!
They’re lawyers, so they probably ate kittens and puppies.
How about pizza?
Bit this childhood candy eater is busy at home eating candy as an adult. Too lazy and too caught up in making sure the spray whipped cream covers the white chocolate cookie to find time to rob, steal, or cheat. Maybe steal one of my husbands Mike and Ike’s but otherwise . . ..
And
LOL
Me too, but I’m still a little angry....
much better statistics if the hypothesis was “Milk in infancy leads to adult violence”.
Junk science at its finest!
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