Candy may give kids cavities and make them a bit hyperactive. But can too many sugary treats at an early age lead to violent acts in adulthood? That's the provocative conclusion of British researchers exploring the links between diet and behaviour.
They found that children who ate sweets and chocolate every day were at a significantly elevated risk of being convicted of a violent crime by the age of 34.
The results are based on data from the British Cohort Study, a massive research effort to chart the long-term health of almost every person born in Britain during a one-week period in April of 1970. That amounts to more than 17,000 people who are assessed at regular intervals.
The new analysis revealed that 69 per cent of those with a criminal record of violence downed candy daily as children.
The researchers looked at other social and economic factors that might have skewed their findings. When everything was taken into account, the link between sweets and violence persisted.
"As far as we can tell, this is a fairly robust result, statistically at least," said lead researcher Simon Moore of Cardiff University. Dr. Moore acknowledges that the study "raises more questions than perhaps it answers." How, for instance, could sugar spark criminal acts years later?
He can't say for sure, but he thinks it may be related to child-rearing practices. If parents use candy to pacify a disruptive child it could end up encouraging or reinforcing bad and impulsive behaviour.
"Basically, as children, they've learned that if they are aggressive, vocal and antagonistic they will get a reward," he said in an interview.
In their research paper, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, the researchers write: "Giving children sweets and chocolate regularly may stop them learning how to wait to obtain something they want. Not being able to defer gratification may push them towards more impulsive behaviour, which is associated with delinquency."
Dr. Moore said it's also possible that high levels of sugar, or additives contained in some sweets, may "cause changes in the way these kids function, with increased likelihood to violence later in life."
Of course, Dr. Moore and his colleagues are just speculating about potential explanations. More research is needed to confirm their findings. But if they are right, the study provides fresh hope that a change in child-rearing practices could help curb at least some violence in society.
