By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer
Childrenâs birthday parties, for all intents and purposes, are maelstroms of chaos. Screaming boys and girls whirl about the room, reaching disturbingly-high decibel levels. Itâs not a pretty sight, especially for the unfortunate chaperones. For the longest time, sugar has shouldered the blame for kidsâ hyper behaviour, but facts seem to indicate that it shouldnât.
Studies over the years have revealed that there is no discernible difference in childrenâs behaviour whether they are given sugar or not; this isnât new knowledge either, since a conclusive review was released in 1996. Numerous double-blind trials involving various forms of the alleged hyperactivity-inducing substance have been performed and all come up with the same result. In a 1994 study, 35 boys between the ages of five and seven (and thought by their mothers to be âsugar sensitiveâ) were split into two groups. Both groups would receive a placebo. The mothers of the experimental group, however, were informed that their children had taken a sizeable amount of sugar. The end result was that the experimental group mothers were far more critical of their children than the control group.
From these results, one can draw the conclusion that when we perceive children to be hyper, thatâs all thatâs happening; we perceive them as such. If you truly believe something is going to happen or be a certain way, then of course youâll see it as so.
So what makes kids hyper then? Take a look at an event when children most commonly go on a sugar binge: a birthday party. Thereâs a crowd of youths all in one place and itâs an exciting atmosphere. What kid wouldnât feel a little different? Throw in a few games and itâs no wonder why theyâre all bouncing off the walls. One point to note here is that while the sugar may not actually do anything for the children, the caffeine in their pop might. In addition to this, just as parents perceive their children to be hyper, kids can perceive sugar to make them hyper. It works both ways.
Of course, this doesnât mean itâs alright for parents to let their offspring munch on chocolate bars 24/7, but just remember that any behavioural changes arenât really due to sumptuous sweets.
