For kids, a high-sugar diet can lead to obesity and hyperactivity

A new study shows just how much the diet of children can affect their health later in life. In the study, published last week in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, researchers studied young mice and compared high-sugar diets to sugar-restricted diets. They found that long-term consumption of high-sugar diets significantly increased weight gain and the risk of obesity. But it also excessively stimulates the nervous system, similar to children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders. While this is not a study on humans, it does illustrate how kids could be affected by their diets at a young age. To optimize kids' later physical and mental health, parents should try to make sure their kids eat a healthy, balanced diet without so many sugary foods.