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Ency. home > Nutrition > H > Hyperactivity and sugar

Hyperactivity and sugar   

Overview | Recommendations

Alternative names:

Diet - hyperactivity

Definition:

Hyperactivity refers to increased movement, impulsiveness, distractability and decreased attention span.

Activity levels in children vary with their age (a 2-year old is usually more active and has a shorter attention span than a 10-year old).A child's interest level will vary with the activity at hand. For example, a lecture may be less interesting than playing at the playground.

Diagnosing hyperactivity is difficult and often reflects the tolerance level of the supervising adult rather than the activity level of the child.For example, parents may tolerate a higher activity level in a park in the morning than they can tolerate late at night.Consult a psychologist or physician for further information.

Parents and teachers often claim that sugar (such as sucrose), aspartame (NutraSweet), and artificial flavors and colors cause hyperactivity and other behavior problems in children.

Some people argue that children should follow special diets that limit the amount of sugar, flavorings or colors they eat.Scientific studies on the effect of eating artificial flavors and colors, however, have not found any changes in children's behavior due to the amount of artificial flavor or color eaten.

A review by the Nutrition Foundation suggests that if a special diet of foods without artificial flavors or colors works for a child, it may be because that family has begun to interact with each other differently when they are following the special diet.These behavioral family changes, not the diet itself, may improve the child's own behavior and activity level.

Scientists have not found any increase in activity or behavior problems related to sugar or aspartame intake. Sugar does not make normal children hyperactive, nor does it make hyperactive children more so.In fact, one study found a decrease in activity level after eating a high sugar meal or snack.

Ency. home > Nutrition > H > Hyperactivity and sugar

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