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Junk Food Makes Kids Dumber
Junk food can affect kids' IQ scores
We all know by now that we should be feeding our kids healthier foods. Oreos are out; carrot sticks are the new snack time favorite. We’re supposed to watch for pesticides, trans fats, excessive fat and sugar, artificial colors and hormone-disrupting chemicals.
In short, we’re just not supposed to feed our kids junk food. For good reason. Study after study shows how much diet affects young kids’ health. It’s especially critical during the first three years of life.
Think those Twinkies aren’t really hurting anyone? Think again. Obesity isn’t the only danger lurking in processed junk food. High fat, sugary snacks can also affect kids’ developing minds. Specifically, eating a lot of junk food can make you stupid.
The Guardian reports that kids who eat large junk foods have lower IQ scores as they grow up. Per the Guardian:
A predominantly processed-food diet at the age of three is directly associated with a lower IQ at the age of eight and a half, according to a Bristol-based study of thousands of British children.
The researchers used a point scale to evaluate a child’s diet. Each point on the scale corresponded to a loss of 1.67 IQ points by the time these kids hit third grade. That’s pretty disturbing.
They were also looking at some pretty extreme diets. We’re not talking about an extra piece of birthday cake once in awhile. We’re not even talking about the embarrassing amount of homemade cookies that get produced and devoured in my kitchen.
The kids most affected by this IQ loss were eating predominantly processed foods. That means more processed food than fruit, more processed food than vegetables, than meat, than bread. A whole diet of stuff that comes in tubes and boxes. No wonder it affects their health.
There’s nothing here that makes me worry about my own cookie habit with my kids. It does make me worry even more about the many kids growing up in America’s urban “food deserts” where the closest grocery store with a produce section might be miles away. Studies like this really highlight the ongoing need for a food revolution, here and abroad.
Photo: happymealy
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Tweets that mention Healthy Eating Is Vital For Brain As Well As Body | Strollerderby -- Topsy.com commented on Feb 09 11 at 11:27 amjess commented on Feb 09 11 at 12:55 pmIt would be interesting to know whether they controlled for factors such as socio-economic status, highest level of parents’ education, etc. Since this is only a correlation, it seems possible that kids who are eating lots of highly-processed food at such a young age are living in homes where parents are not as highly educated and perhaps are not well off financially (and may not have lots of fresh foods available in their neighborhoods)…all of which could influence children’s later IQ scores.
Jennifer commented on Feb 09 11 at 1:00 pmI try to make sure my kids get lots of veggies (when I can get them to eat them), lots of water, and lots of exercise. We also try to avoid processed meat when possible, particularly if it contains sodium nitrite which increases the risk of childhood leukemia. Yes, that means limit hot dogs or buy the more expensive all-natural ones. Here is an article about avoiding these types of meats:
http://babyminding.com/2011/02/08/are-hot-dogs-killing-our-children-the-link-between-processed-meats-and-cancer/
Kate commented on Feb 10 11 at 4:52 amReally? This over 1.67 point difference? For the love of the FSM, 1.67 points is not enough to know if this effect is real. If a person takes an IQ one day and then another the next, they WILL score at least 1.67 points different. And really, this study seems a bit off. Like Jess said, where’s the control for the SE status?
Beth commented on May 31 11 at 10:50 amThe article was published in a good journal, so I’m sure they controlled for all the obvious co-factors — they just don’t mention it in the popular press. However, I agree that an average 1.67 difference is not very meaningful as it stands. BUT, that means that since it is an average, that many kids had much bigger differences in IQ and that some kids probably didn’t have any. Nonetheless, it is just a correlation and there could be a million things affecting it. What you really have to ask is — who is surprised that junk food affects your brain? Why is this even worth studying when it is so clearly bad for you?
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