more soda kids drank the more aggression

Minnie2361

A similar study could be done on alcoholics and the ingestion of booze.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57598832/soda-may-make-children-more-likely-to-destroy-things-attack-others/

Studies of young soda drinkers often focus on added risk for childhood obesity. But now, a new study suggests the sweet stuff could actually be making kids more violent.

Public health researchers looked at thousands of 5-year-olds, and found the more sugary soft drinks they consumed, the more likely they were to inflict damage and hurt others.

"We found a significant relation with soda consumption with the overall measure of aggression and with the three specific behaviors we felt were most indicative of aggression: destroying things belonging to others, getting into fights and physically attacking people," wrote the authors, led by researcher Dr. Shakira Suglia, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, said in a written statement.
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For the study, researchers at Columbia University, Harvard and the University of Vermont analyzed about 3,000 kids -- mostly black and Hispanic children -- from 20 large U.S. cities. They had been enrolled in a study that followed them since birth, in which moms were given surveys about their child's behavior.

More than 40 percent of the children had at least one soft drink per day, while only 4 percent consumed four or more.


But, the more soda kids drank, the more problems with attention, aggression and withdrawn behaviors were reported.

Even after ruling out other factors that could influence violent behavior -- like family income, where kids lived, how much candy they ate, whether they grew up in a violent home or if mom was depressed, or dad was in jail -- the researchers still linked soda consumption to increases in aggressive behavior.

Kids who drank four or more soft drinks per day were found to be twice as likely to destroy other people's property, get into fights and physically hit others.

The study only found an association between soda and violence and children, and did not prove cause and effect. The researchers also added that the findings may not be generalized to all American 5-year-olds given the limited research pool.

But, they theorized the behavioral woes could be the result of some of soda's ingredients, such as caffeine, which has been linked to poor sleep, depression and impulsivity.

"Soft drinks are highly processed products containing carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sodium benzoate, phosphoric or citric acid, and often caffeine, any of which might affect behavior," they wrote.

They said that limiting or eliminating soft drinks from kids' diets could reduce their behavioral problems.

"Furthermore, if they're drinking this much soda, it's probably taking away from other nutritional things the child could be eating," Suglia added to Reuters.

The researchers pointed out that Americans buy more soda per capita than any other people in the world.

The study was published Aug. 16 in The Journal of Pediatrics, and was funded by the government's National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Previous research has linked sugar consumption - specifically candy - to increased risk for violence later in life.


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Public health advocates have long been warning that young kids who consume sugary drinks may be at higher risk for obesity or related conditions like diabetes. A study released this month in Pediatrics that also looked at 5-year-olds found those who consumed sugary drinks daily were 1.5 times more likely to be obese than those who didn't.


The beverage industry disputed that study's findings, along with the new research.


"It is a leap to suggest that drinking soda causes these or any other behavioral issue," the American Beverage Association said in a statement. "The science does not support that conclusion."

JenAndSome

A similar study could be done on alcoholics and the ingestion of booze.

Not for me. I'm a happy drunk! :drinker:

_Zardoz_

Correlation does not imply causation

Minnie2361

What more can I say , the evidence is in the behavior.

snazzyjazzy21

Correlation does not imply causation

Agreed. I doubt you can simply rule out environmental factors when it comes to a child's personality. Also, soda? Come on, at least try to find something original to blame...

SezxyStef

Here we go again...on the soda and adding kids in this time.

Last week chicken was going to kill us.
Week before it was soda and/or artifcal sweetners

What's next week???? better not be bacon or I will be

icimani

From that same article:

The study only found an association between soda and violence and children, and did not prove cause and effect.

There are waaaay too many other factors to consider before you can blame aggression on soda. I'd venture just a wild guess and say that because the kids drank more soda they weighed more, were more susceptible to bullying, and it seems like kids are showing more aggression anyway so that's their redaction to the bullying. That's a very long way to go to blame it just on soda.

k8blujay2

I'm gonna bet that there was no controlling factor on how a person parents their kid either.

nomeejerome

sloth3toes

Even recommended levels of sugar shown to be toxic to mice

Is this the recommended level of sugar for a human, is toxic to a mouse? I wouldn't find that surprising.

RGv2

Minnie2361

I'm gonna bet that there was no controlling factor on how a person parents their kid either.

Good Point, it goes back to the parents, it starts with the mother health it starts in the womb.

The Skinny on Obesity (Ep. 5): Generation XL
http://www.uctv.tv/shows/The-Skinny-on-Obesity-Ep-5-Generation-XL-23719

saschka7

A similar study could be done on alcoholics and the ingestion of booze.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57598832/soda-may-make-children-more-likely-to-destroy-things-attack-others/

Studies of young soda drinkers often focus on added risk for childhood obesity. But now, a new study suggests the sweet stuff could actually be making kids more violent.

[several paragraphs cut]


"It is a leap to suggest that drinking soda causes these or any other behavioral issue," the American Beverage Association said in a statement. "The science does not support that conclusion."

So..."A similar study could be done on alcoholics and the ingestion of booze."?

1. The word "booze" is not very scientific or professional, although very appropriate depending on the conversation.

2. "could be done"..."COULD be done"? What are you suggesting and why? It sounds as if you are the chairperson for the American Medical Association speaking at a conference to drum up ideas for new government studies and I do not think that's the case.

Seriously, why all the scaremongering and policing of people's behavior?
Your tone is....disturbing.

saschka7

What more can I say , the evidence is in the behavior.

Well, I don't know what evidence you're referring to but I know pretty darn well that there's a ****eload of scientific evidence completely missing from your postulation. Post your sources please as to "evidence is in the behavior". Do all children who drink soda become more violent? What about children who don't drink any at all who are violent?

Answer: The concept of soda making children violent and the evidence is in their behavior is simply bogus. It's a non-supportable opinion. As someone else said, correlation is not causation. There may be a connection which may manifest itself in some children but it does not apply to all children, all the time and the original article points that out "The study only found an association between soda and violence and children, and did not prove cause and effect. The researchers also added that the findings may not be generalized to all American 5-year-olds given the limited research pool."

jwdieter

I'm gonna bet that there was no controlling factor on how a person parents their kid either.

I'm betting parents who give their 5-yr olds 4+ sodas/day are a fairly interesting set of parents.

Thomasm198

- Sugar
- Soda
- Chicken
- McDonalds

And next on the insane crusade is? :yawn:

saschka7

- Sugar
- Soda
- Chicken
- McDonalds

And next on the insane crusade is? :yawn:

Probably marshmallows being a gateway drug for cocaine use....

Contrarian

Why do you keep doing this?

Lichent

we went to google looking to see the photos of fat kids and found one page full of fat kids. We found this page with 23 photos called Your kid is fat stop feeding it garbage

Those parents should be in jail for child abuse.

But it goes to show if Momi s fat all then her chemical imbalance with insulin and fat will be passed onto the poor little tiker before it is even born. Talk about stacking the deck against their own kids!

maddymama

I'm gonna bet that there was no controlling factor on how a person parents their kid either.

I'm betting parents who give their 5-yr olds 4+ sodas/day are a fairly interesting set of parents.

+1
my thoughts exactly!
I couldn't get past the 4 or more sodas a day. My 7 year old hasn't even consumed 4 sodas in her entire life.

Lichent

My buddy and I went to a church function last year and we brought with us a whole pile sweet stuff, cakes and muffins to donate and one little tiker wanted one and gave it to him, I thought nothing of it at the time {ignorance is bliss} but the grandmother was upset with me cuz the parents are restricting sugar for the little guy.. Well I was somewhat offended. thinking they were cruel not allowing a little sweet stuff {as I said ingorance is bliss} Now I realize they were just being good parents and grandparents protecting the kids from a lifetime of fat.