When I was younger, my parents were real strict about what we ate as a kid. We were not allowed to drink soda and were limited to candy all because one, it rots your teeth and secondly it made us hyper, out-of-control kids.
While reading the text, Scientific Prospectives on Pseudoscience and the Paranormal, I find it so interesting that a myth like this is still believable to parents. Sugar has no correlation to a child's behavior. Many kids say they go ''nuts'' or ''crazy'' in ways when they each sugar. However in recent tests and studies, they had to groups of kids, some where given foods with sugar while the other group was given artificial sweetener. The results showed that there was no difference in the behavior of either groups.
Usually when kids are given such foods like sweets and soda, it is around fun things occur like birthday parties. Still parents believe that when their kids are running and around and screaming is because of the sugar, not the caffeine from the soda OR the fun and excitement of the party itself. Another myth is kids who have ADHD are said to be ''sensitive'' to eating or consuming sugary products.
Parents will find any reason to pinpoint a child's bad behavior. Yes sugar is bad for your health if you have too much of it. It can rot your teeth and give you bad stomach aches. However with the research stated in the textbook and other test groups and stories, sugar is not a trigger for hyperactivity. It may just taste good in your candy bar or cake and maybe your excited to have the taste sensation but sugar will not have you ''bouncing of the walls"
Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=1658232&page=2
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/02/sugar-does-not-make-kids-hyper/
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I have heard parents say this many times. It is interesting how you pointed out how sugar has always been the reason for hyper or bad behaved kids. It seems to be just an example of parents trying to play the blame game instead of controlling there kids.
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