Too Much Sugar?

            When I was younger, I used to have a best friend that had energy that could last all day. Having lots of energy is usually normal for younger kids, but he had more than the usual. With all this energy, his mom rarely ever let him have sugar. When she did let him, he would immediately start to act even more hyper than ever. I would always think to myself “good thing she never lets him have sugar”. Now, I’m thinking to myself “I guess it was all an act when he had sugar”.

            This myth began in 1973 when a specific diet was implemented for curing hyperactivity. People began to believe that it depends on what you eat that makes you more or less hyper. Even though this myth was busted soon after in 1978, the rumor continued on. With multiple studies done, it has been seen that sugar doesn’t effect hyperactivity, but can effect sleep, temperment, and emotions (webmd.com). Sugar also seems to immediately effect the parents expectations. Parents were seen to say that their kids were more hyper, even though the ‘sugar’ was a placebo (sciencenews.org).

            It truly amazes me how much a myth can convince people of certain things, and how long they can stick around! Why hasn’t this myth gone away after studies have come out proving it to be wrong? It’s definitely hard to change the way people think, and a lot of people are pretty gullible. This myth will probably continue to stick around, and more and more kids will not be allowed to have sugar in their diets.

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/busting-sugar-hyperactivity-myth

https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/growth-curve/sugar-doesn’t-make-kids-hyper-and-other-parenting-myths

Listen to this Dr. explain this myth!