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Does Candy Cause Crime?
Add this to the list of reasons to take candy machines out of schools. A recent study by British researcher Simon Moore of Cardiff University suggests that children who eat a lot of candy are more likely to become violent criminals, Time magazine reports. The study took data from the British Cohort Study, a long-term survey of 17,000 people born during one week in April 1970. Moore plumbed the data and discovered that 69 percent of people convicted of a violent act by age 34 ate candy almost every day as children, while only 42 percent of non-criminals reported the same. Moore said that he then adjusted the figures "parental permissiveness, economic status, whether the kids were urban or rural. But the result remained." It's unclear whether sweets contain compounds promoting antisocial and aggressive behavior or whether undisciplined children tend to eat sweets to excess, evidencing a lack of impulse control that carries through into adulthood. "This study really raises more questions than answers," Moore said.
Granite
Sugar--the gateway drug.
DeliaK
Are there candy machines at the White House?
allonfla
I'm sure you could find some under Joe Wilson's seat.
allonfla
I can believe it. If I don't watch my sugar intake, it really has an effect on my temper as my period nears.
prettyscary1
THanks for filling us all in on that....
djanimaequeen
TMI
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n--Y--morecowbellprettyscary1
That will be the Letterman defense
leangreenliving
In trying to diminish sugar in my elementary school-aged child's diet a decade ago, I began to refer to candy as KIDDY KRACK. I became well aware of its ever-present, addictive and personality altering quality - if you don't believe it just observe a classroom before and after a holiday-cupcake-and-candy-fueled party :)
I wish they would sell it far, far away from grocer and drug-store cash registers where it sings its siren song to captive kiddies.
magoo363
It sounds to me like the studies in the late 19th century of phrenology. They claimed that the studying of the bumps, size, weight and shape of a persons head would determine personality traits, including if they were criminals or not. They even included "scientific" data. That study was determined to be scientific racism. I think this one may be too.
Poor people eat more hi calorie/sugary diets than middle income or high income people do. These diets are cheaper than the more healthy alternatives. The poor are also disproportionately involved in crimes when compared to the other social classes. Crime with the poor was still a major factor before the sugar was flowing in from the New World, so the thesis that sugar is causing crime and not economic realities is the horse pushing the cart.
leonfreilich
SWEETS NO TREATS
Candy is dandy
But in time leads to crime.
exploora
I think the scheduling of treats might mean that homework is also scheduled, tv is scheduled, etc etc. A schedule makes a huge difference in planning and focusing on what a person does. And then there are goals related to the time table, instead of being aimless or getting too involved with situations which are better handled when walking away.
I think though sugar drinks, if sugar is the actual issue, could pose a risk too, especially related to obesity.
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n--Y--morecowbellwinston1
Holloween night the kids will be killing one another on the sidewalks.
nortonclybourn
Duh, criminals are more impulsive as adults, they were more impulsive as kids, so they ate more candy.
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n--Y--cvillekiddjanimaequeen
Lol!
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n--Y--bbrown13laughorcryagain
whew - I'm glad it was the candy's fault
just think all this time i thought it might be parents, or teaching or our culture of entitlement , or peer pressure.
elldeen
If there was really anything to this, then I would be doing hard time in a maximum state prison!
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