Your current location:HOME >world >DR MAX PEMBERTON: Why Joe Wicks is WRONG about diet and the real reason children are getting ADHD 正文
TIME:2024-05-21 18:44:42 Source: Internet compilationEdit:world
Fitness coach Joe Wicks has blamed ultra-processed junk food for the explosion of young people being
Fitness coach Joe Wicks has blamed ultra-processed junk food for the explosion of young people being diagnosed with ADHD.
Wicks said he 'ran on sugar' as a child and thinks his love of foods including Wagon Wheels and jam sandwiches are what caused his behavioural issues.
There's no doubt that food plays a really important role in things such as mood. We know that good nutrition is closely linked not just to healthy bodies, but healthy minds too.
But there is no evidence to show food or drink that is high in sugar has any real effect on children's behaviour. In fact, this notion has been consistently dismissed by medics as a myth.
There have been a number of double-blind, randomised controlled trials conducted specifically to look at this claim - none of them found a link between sugar intake and children's behaviour. Interestingly, in one study, parents were told that their children had been given sugar when in fact they hadn't, and noted their children were more hyperactive despite this.
Joe Wicks has blamed his high-sugar childhood diet on his ADHD and behavioural problems
It's possible that this myth is based on research into the artificial colouring used in some fizzy drinks and sweets, which have been shown to cause hyperactivity in susceptible children. It seems that maybe this has caused confusion, and people wrongly attributed the hyperactivity to the sugar rather than the additives.
In any case, it's felt that food additives only play a small part in children's behaviour.
There are many other more important factors. And I do agree with Wicks that there are external factors at play in much of the ADHD epidemic.
I worry that things such as smart phones and 'multi-screening' (watching TV while also being on your phone etc), along with social media where children are bombarded with short snippets of information in quick succession, are to blame for the collapse in attention spans we seem to be witnessing.
In today's world, from the moment a child wakes to the minute they fall asleep, their day is jam-packed with things to do and see. But cramming our children's lives so full like this can cause untold harm and damage.
I'm deeply concerned about the effects of modern life on the minds of youngsters. Unlike the claims that sugar causes hyperactivity, research has clearly shown that screen time does increase the risk of behavioural problems in toddlers. This is not remotely surprising to those of us who work in mental health services - we are always seeing children who appear to have no ability to sit still, concentrate and maintain attention for more than the time it takes to read an Instagram post.
While it might be reassuring for parents to have labels such as ADHD and to blame hyperactivity on sugar levels - because it offers an apparently biological explanation for a child's behaviour - we know that there are significant social factors at play too.
It seems to me no coincidence that the rates of attention and behavioural difficulties in children have sky-rocketed in line with the rise of technology. If a child's brain is being bombarded non-stop for hours on end, is it any wonder we are seeing record levels of attention disorders, hyperactivity and sleep problems?
Tablets and TVs are being used by harassed parents as proxy babysitters. I understand why. But it seems ironic that despite us increasingly treating children with kid gloves, never allowing them to go out and play, banning smacking, feeding them organic food and so on, we appear to be causing other dangers.
Consuming high levels of sugar is not good for you; it's linked to a host of health issues such as obesity and dental problems. But, as much as I'm a fan of Joe Wicks, it is incorrect for him to blame it for the rising rates of behavioural problems in children.
Investigators return to Long Island home of Gilgo Beach serial killing suspect2024-05-21 18:30
Espinoza scores go2024-05-21 18:01
Els, Barron tied for Regions Tradition lead at 132024-05-21 17:38
Pirates rookie Paul Skenes hits triple digits routinely, strikes out 7 in big league debut vs. Cubs2024-05-21 17:22
Bella Hadid goes braless in a thigh2024-05-21 16:38
Klauss scores twice to rally St. Louis City to 32024-05-21 16:23
Baltimore Key bridge collapse: Crews prepare for controlled demolition2024-05-21 16:13
West Ham gives departing Moyes a winning sendoff at London Stadium with victory over Luton2024-05-21 16:04
Revealed: Brit tourist, 19, subjected to sex attack in Majorca 'was gang2024-05-21 16:03
Indonesia school bus crash kills at least 11, dozens injured2024-05-21 16:02
I was 'brokefished' by my friend for £4002024-05-21 18:43
Clevinger combines with 3 relievers on a 42024-05-21 18:37
Martinez homers with two outs in the 9th inning to end Braves' combined no2024-05-21 18:31
Espinoza scores go2024-05-21 18:26
Philippines blames China for loss of giant clams in disputed shoal and urges environmental inquiry2024-05-21 18:25
8 people were killed in a shooting attack at a bar in Ecuador, local police say2024-05-21 18:03
EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Princess Beatrice's pal Alice Naylor2024-05-21 18:01
China's foreign trade growth accelerates amid improving demand2024-05-21 17:53
Young Boys seals 6th Swiss soccer league title in 7 years after rallying from firing coach Wicky2024-05-21 17:46
Benteke scores 3 goals to help DC United beat Atlanta United 32024-05-21 16:04