Do Candy-Eating Kids Become Criminal Adults?

Do Candy-Eating Kids Become Criminal Adults?

www.time.com

What parent hasn't used candy to pacify a cranky child or head off a brewing tantrum? When reasoning, threats and time-outs fail, a sugary treat often does the trick. But while that chocolate-covered balm may be highly effective in the short term, say British scientists, it may be setting youngsters up for problem behavior later. According to a new study, kids who eat too many treats at a young age risk becoming violent in adulthood.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Ok now I have seen it all .....

Interesting study but gee what's the point to being a kid if you cant have any candy ???

Perhaps there are other factors that are not being taken into consideration for the purpose of this study ? Could these same people have had parents that simply didn't show a direct interest in the child's upbringing and the excessive candy was simply one example of this lack of interest on behalf of the parent ?

Anyway , what do you all think ?

www.time.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by Max_TO

Do Candy-Eating Kids Become Criminal Adults?

www.time.com

What parent hasn't used candy to pacify a cranky child or head off a brewing tantrum? When reasoning, threats and time-outs fail, a sugary treat often does the trick. But while that chocolate-covered balm may be highly effective in the short term, say British scientists, it may be setting youngsters up for problem behavior later. According to a new study, kids who eat too many treats at a young age risk becoming violent in adulthood.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Um, no. Absolutely not.

Every kid with the opportunity (economic or health wise or parenting wise) eats candy or strives valiantly to do so.

We have eaten candy for a very long time, sweets for a very long time.

What the problem is, is those parents "using candy to pacify temper tantrums."

They are rewarding terrible behavior and encouraging worse behavior in the future.

It has nothing to do with candy.

That article sounds really stupid. Obviously it's not the candy turning children into criminals, but the way the parents are handling them.

reply to post by BaronVonGodzilla


I tend to agree with you .

Mod Note: One Line Post – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 10/3/2009 by AshleyD]

reply to post by Max_TO


Well, there's more to it in the article so I feel like I was being kind of glib, but still. I really disagree with this finding. Too many of these studies (lately candy and spanking) ignores things that are SO important such as in the article:

"In other words, regardless of other environmental and lifestyle factors, like family-income level, parenting style or children's level of education, the data suggested it was only the frequency of confectionery consumption in childhood that strongly predicted adult violence."

Well, I am sure they have data (which I can't see in the article) which backs this up, but I would just like to know how they decided to ignore any environmental or lifestyle factors, family income level, parenting style or children's level of education?

Because to be honest all of those things has a hell of alot more to do with kids acting bad then candy does.

I think this study was done with an anti-candy agenda of some sort, perhaps there is a candy battle brewing that we are unaware of.

Edit: after re-reading my post here I really sound like an idiot even to myself. So allow me to clarify; I understand that the data does show it has nothing to do with those factors, yet I still foolishly and more importantly mistakenly believe it does have something to do with those factors.

So I am devestatingly ignorant and should be heartily denied now. Also I know I misspelled "devestatingly" but I can't find a spell check.

[edit on 3-10-2009 by BaronVonGodzilla]

No it's not the candy directly. It's the fact that these kids are learning that bad behavior can lead to rewards.

reply to post by Max_TO


Genetics determine the potential violent behavior. Just as genetics plays a large part in addictive behavior, and most other personality traits.

Pre and post natal Environment also plays a huge part, but imo genetics makes us who we are.

this is a bunch of crap science...i ate plenty of candy when i was young, as did my friends...no killers among any of us. maybe a broader based study would have needed to be done, but i think other scientists probably just laughed at this guy.

It should be noted that this is a UK study , lets not forget the British government has/is putting CCTV cameras in privet homes to watch parents and how they rase there children . This study could be used to try and get more cameras placed into a border range of homes in the UK .

Heres a link to the UK cameras in privet homes story , incase you have missed it .
www.wired.com...

£400 million ($668 million) will be spend on installing and monitoring CCTV cameras in the homes of private citizens. Why? To make sure the kids are doing their homework, going to bed early and eating their vegetables. The scheme has, astonishingly, already been running in 2,000 family homes. The government’s “children’s secretary” Ed Balls is behind the plan, which is aimed at problem, antisocial families. The idea is that, if a child has a more stable home life, he or she will be less likely to stray into crime and drugs

i eat lots of candy,since a kid,and im pretty much a "future terrorist,freedom fighter" but still it sounds stupid,its the world around them that makes them criminals,and the rude people

Bull. It isn't the diet that turns a kid in to a criminal. It is how the parents raise them. It is whether the parent punish enough or too much or abuse the child. It is also the example and time spent with the child. It is a number of factors that makes a kid turn out right or the next Charles Manson. It isn't a Milky Way bar that does it.

reply to post by Max_TO


Well, I have to be honest, I was a big candy eater in my childhood and teens even in my twenties, I was not overweight and I have never kill anybody in mad rage yet.

My candy intake is almost none existent right now, but that is due to me making sure that I take care of myself in my adulthood to avoid adult onset diabetes.

No because I don't like candies anymore, but If I am to eat something sweet it better be the best quality candy money can buy and with the state of the economy and our budget, well those times are not an option anymore.



[edit on 3-10-2009 by marg6043]

reply to post by Max_TO


As much as I hate the sugar only diet many of today's kids are on I have high doubts that whether they eat candy regularly has a noticeable influence on whether they grow up to be hardened criminals. Can you imagine a gang member shooting someone as he licks an all day sucker

Of course what the kid eats will have an effect on later behavior and reinforcing negative behavior with a positive thing like candy can lead to trouble but the last thing parents need is to be denying their kid an occasional piece of candy because they're afraid the kid will end up stabbing someone. If anything denying a kid candy his whole life would likely have an even more adverse effect then letting him have candy whenever he wants.

All things in moderation I suppose

Perhaps all candy and candy commercials need a disclaimer of "Eat Responsibly"

"Initially we thought this [effect] was probably due to something else," says Moore. "So we tried to control for parental permissiveness, economic status, whether the kids were urban or rural. But the result remained. We couldn't get rid of it."

In other words, regardless of other environmental and lifestyle factors, like family-income level, parenting style or children's level of education, the data suggested it was only the frequency of confectionery consumption in childhood that strongly predicted adult violence. "The key message is that this study really raises more questions than answers," says Moore.

Originally posted by Titen-Sxull
reply to post by Max_TO

 

As much as I hate the sugar only diet many of today's kids are on I have high doubts that whether they eat candy regularly has a noticeable influence on whether they grow up to be hardened criminals. Can you imagine a gang member shooting someone as he licks an all day sucker

You're obviously not picking up the suggested correlations outlined by the study. They aren't at all saying that candy is responsible for criminal behavior; the study raises many questions about WHY the correlation exists.

There may be an area of the brain which is associated with violent/criminal behavior AND the seeking out of sweet foods and/or the satisfaction of acquiring something similar to candy... and of course an underlying base cause for the link. We simply don't know enough about the human brain to definitively show why this link exists, and you people who are throwing studies like this to the side and calling them stupid are just that.

Also, this thread itself suggests that there is an area of the brain that is associated with conspiracy theories and misunderstanding presented information.

[edit on 3-10-2009 by RestingInPieces]

reply to post by Max_TO

Do Candy-Eating Kids Become Criminal Adults?

It depends on the type of Candy being consumed. I once ate enough Sour Balls to go on a rampage of mayhem destroying everything in my path until my blood sugar went down and I crashed. Jelly beans can do the same thing in those with the predisposition to violence and blood lust.

Yay one more way for people to not have to take responsibility for not raising their kids right. "It wasn't my neglent or lack of discipline that caused little susie to become a human waste of space and criminal, it was the candy, we need to outlaw candy so it never happens again."

Stupid irresponsible people, stop breeding, problem solved.

reply to post by Max_TO

Do Candy-Eating Kids Become Criminal Adults?

No; but rich kids, poor kids, and middle class kids do. Candy has nothing to do with it. Thats like saying kids with cats are less likely to do drugs.