You know that guy who gets angry for no reason and always wants to start a fight with everybody? Well, yes, he’s a jerk, but his sweet tooth might have had something to do with it.The British Cohort Study tracks thousands of people throughout various stages of their lives. A recent analysis of the 17500 child participants in the 1970 study found that 10-year-olds who ate sweets daily were significantly more likely than their junk-food-deprived compatriots to have been convicted for violence by age 34.
The researchers suggested several explanations for the link, but the favoured explanation, according to lead researcher Dr. Simon Moore, was that “giving children sweets and chocolate regularly may stop them learning how to wait for something they want. Not being able to defer gratificiation may push them towards more impulsive behaviour, which is strongly associated with delinquency.”
In other words, if you don’t learn patience and discipline – or at least that you’re not the centre of the universe whose demands whould be instantly met – when you’re young, you might turn out to be...well, a jerk.
Source: ScienceDaily
