Fast Food diets are making children less intelligent
There are plenty of reasons out there why children and adults shouldn?t be eating fast food regularly, including an increased risk of heart disease and a high level of obesity. Now recent research has shown we have another one to add to that list ? intelligence.
Studies have shown that children who eat junk food on a regular basis are less clever than those on a healthy diet. It is the first time a link has been discovered between junk food ? which typically contains a high level of fat and sugar and little nutritional value ? and a child?s academic ability. The finding may well cause many parents to rethink what they feed their children. Parents will need to think how snacks like hamburgers and hot dogs might affect a Childs test scores as well as their weight.
More than 5,500 children between the age of 10 and 11 were tested as part of the study. The children are at an age when many in the UK would be taking tests to determine their future academic life. The results found that there was a significant drop in test scores amongst those who ate fast food regularly, even after taking into account social and economic factors.
The average score in literary tests is 141.52, but children who had been eating junk food three times a day saw their scores drop by nearly 20 points. Those who ate junk food a more casual 4 times a week still found that their scores dropped by nearly 10 points. The study found similar results when looking at average maths scores.
Researchers said that it?s possible that rather than the food affecting scores, unseen factors such as parents attitude to school and involvement in a child?s education could also have been contributing factors.
Kerri Tobin, leader of the research conducted at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee stated: ?Continued investment in school nutrition plans, and curricula designed to make pupils and parents aware of the academic consequences of their food choices, would be one positive step that schools could take.?