Friday, October 28, 2011

Soda Linked To Teen Violence, Study Says

http://newsfeedresearcher.com/data/articles_m44/soda-drink-violence.html
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/crime/study-heavy-soda-drinking-linked-teen-violence

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Violence towards peers rose from 35 percent to 58 percent while violence towards siblings rose from 25.4 percent o 43 percent. "What we found was that there was a strong relationship between how many soft drinks that these inner-city kids consumed and how violent they were, not only in violence against peers but also violence in dating relationships, against siblings," David Hemenway, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in an interview with The Associated Press. The report was published after researchers asked about 1,900 Boston public high school students how many non-diet sodas they drank during the last week. The researchers then looked at potential links to violent behaviour in this group, by asking if they had been violent towards their peers, a sibling, or a partner, and if they had carried a gun or knife over the past year. [1]High-school students in inner-city Boston who consumed more than five cans of non-diet, fizzy soft drinks every week were between nine and 15-percent likelier to engage in an aggressive act compared with counterparts who drank less. "What we found was that there was a strong relationship between how many soft drinks that these inner-city kids consumed and how violent they were, not only in violence against peers but also violence in dating relationships, against siblings," said David Hemenway, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. [2] Now, in a latest study, experts have attempted to identify the relationship between consumption of carbonated drinks and violence among the young students. These drinks have also faced a huge criticism for causing a number of health complications. During the study, the scientists have observed that youngsters who prefer to consume these fizzy drinks are more likely to behave in an aggressive manner or keep a weapon along with them. The experts have warned that the consumption of non-diet sugary drinks can cast a significant impact to increase the level of violence among the teens and claimed that adolescents who tend to consume two or more cans of the drinks every day are more likely to enjoy violence, particularly with their siblings, friends as well as with companion. An expert from the Harvard School of Public Health, David Hemenway, had attempted to explain the findings and notified: "What we found was that there was a strong relationship between how many soft drinks that these inner-city kids consumed and how violent they were". In addition to this, David Hemenway also insisted that the carbonated drink lovers are more likely to show episodes full of violence even with dating partners, family members as compared to other counterpart. [3]

The researchers suggest that sugar or caffeine could lead to aggression. "What we found was that there was a strong relationship between how many soft drinks that these inner-city kids consumed and how violent they were, not only in violence against peers but also violence in dating relationships, against siblings," said David Hemenway, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. "It was shocking to us when we saw how clear the relationship was," he said. [4]

"Adolescents who drank more than five cans of soft drinks per week (nearly 30 percent of the sample) were significantly more likely to have carried a weapon and to have been violent with peers, family members and dates," researchers wrote. Frequent soda drink consumption was associated with a 9 to 15 percent increase in the probability of a teenager engaging in an aggressive act, even after controlling for other factors including gender, age, race, sleep patterns, alcohol and tobacco use, and whether the teenager has dinner with their family. "It was shocking to us when we saw how clear the relationship was," David Hemenway, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, told Agence France-Presse. [5] Teen violence had a "significant and strong" link with soda drink consumption in a new study by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health. Boston high school students were asked how often they drank non-diet soda drinks, and whether they had taken part in violence with a peer or carried a weapon. [5] SCIENTISTS have reacted with scepticism to a U.S. study which has found a link between the high consumption of soft drinks and violence in teens. The study, carried out by the Harvard School of Health, reported high-school students who consumed more than five cans of non-diet, fizzy soft drinks every week were between nine and 15 per cent more likely to engage in an aggressive act compared with those who drank less. It was based on answers to questionnaires filled out by 1878 public-school students in inner-city Boston aged 14 to 18, where crime rates are much higher than in wealthier suburbs.[6]

Just under one in three (30 percent) respondents fell into the high consumption category. The more soft drinks the teens consumed, the more likely they were to have reported violent behavior. For those teens who were heavy consumers of non-diet sodas, the probability of aggressive behavior was 9 to 15 percentage points higher than that of low consumers. Just over 23 percent of those who said they drank one or no cans of soft drink a week carried a gun/knife, but just under 43 percent among those drinking 14 or more cans said that. The percentage of teens who reported perpetrating violence towards a partner rose from 15 percent, in those drinking one or no cans a week, to just short of 27 percent, among those drinking 14 or more. It's possible that an underlying condition, such as low blood sugar, may result in both high soda consumption and aggressive behavior, the researchers said.[7] What emerged, said Hemenway, was evidence of "dose response," in other words, the more soda was consumed, the likelier the tendency towards violence. Among those who drank one or no cans of soft drink a week, 23 percent carried a gun or a knife; 15 percent perpetrated violence towards a partner; and 35 percent had been violent towards peers. At the other end of the scale, among those who drank 14 cans a week, 43 percent carried a gun or a knife; 27 percent had been violent towards a partner; and more than 58 percent had been violent towards peers. [8] What emerged, said Professor David Hemenway, was evidence of "dose response", in other words, the more soda was consumed, the likelier the tendency towards violence. Among those who drank one or no cans of soft drink a week, 23 per cent carried a gun or a knife; 15 per cent perpetrated violence towards a partner; and 35 per cent had been violent towards peers. At the other end of the scale, among those who drank 14 cans a week, 43 per cent carried a gun or a knife; 27 per cent had been violent towards a partner; and more than 58 per cent had been violent towards peers. [6]

Overall, teens who were heavy consumers of sugary fizz were between nine and 15 percentage points likelier to show aggressive behaviour compared with low consumers, even when ethnicity and other confounding factors were taken into account. "What we found was that there was a strong relationship between how many soft drinks that these inner-city kids consumed and how violent they were, not only in violence against peers but also violence in dating relationships, against siblings," said Prof Hemenway. "It was shocking to us when we saw how clear the relationship was." He stressed that only further work would confirm - or disprove - the key question whether higher consumption of sweet sodas caused violent behaviour. [6] Overall, teens who were heavy consumers of sugary fizz were between nine and 15 percentage points likelier to show aggressive behaviour compared with low consumers, even when ethnicity and other confounding factors were taken into account. This is a magnitude similar to the link found, in previously researched, with alcohol or tobacco. Hemenway said the study had included a couple of questions aimed at taking a children's home background into account, including whether the teen had taken a meal with his family in the previous days. As it was only intended as a preliminary investigation, the questionnaire did not ask what kind of sodas the teens drank, he said. "This is one of the very first studies to examine" the question, said Hemenway. "We don't know why (there is this strong association). There may be some causal effect but it's also certainly plausible that this is just a marker for other problems - that kids who are violent for whatever reason, they tend to smoke more, they tend to drink more alcohol and they tend to maybe drink more soft drinks. [8]

The legal strategy became known as the "Twinkie Defense," and the precedent raised a number of questions that persist, despite years of research on the subject. A 2006 study in found that teens who drank lots of soft drinks suffered from worse mental health compared to those who drank fewer. A study published earlier this year found higher levels of antisocial behavior in American college students who drank the most soda. [9] White's lawyers argued that the crime wasn't premeditated because White was hyped up on junk food and Coca-Cola. Other studies have further probed possible effects of unhealthy food, with one study finding poor mental health among Norwegian teens who drank a lot of soft drinks. Another study found antisocial tendencies among U.S. college students who consumed a lot of soda. [10]

BOSTON -- Teenagers who drink a lot of soda are more likely to get into fights and act violently, according to a new study. Harvard researchers asked more than 1,800 students in Boston public schools about their experiences with violence, including if they had carried a knife or gun the previous year. The students were also asked how much non-diet soda they drank in the past seven days. [11] The study is published in the Oct. 24 online issue of Injury Prevention. The researchers asked about 1,900 Boston public high school students how many non-diet sodas they drank during the last week, as well as whether they carried a weapon or had been violent toward family members or peers. Nearly 43 percent of teens who drank 14 or more cans of soda a week said they carried a weapon at some point, compared with 23 percent of teens who drank less than one can of soda a week. [10] Researchers from the University of Vermont analyzed survey responses from 1,878 teens from 22 public schools in Boston. Teens were asked how many sodas they had consumed over the past week, and whether they had been violent towards their peers, their siblings or people they had dated, or if they had carried a gun or a knife in the past year. The responses were divided into two groups: those who said they drank up to four cans over the preceding week (low consumption); and those how said they drank five or more (high consumption). [7]

For the latest study, Hemenway and colleague Sara Solnick surveyed more than 1,800 students in Boston public schools. During 40-minute sessions that covered a range of topics, kids answered questions about how much non-diet soda they had gulped down in the past seven days, whether they had been violent towards others, and if they had carried around a knife or gun in the previous year. [9]

Teens in the study who drank more than five cans of non-diet soda per day were significantly more likely report behaving violently towards others, and more likely to report having carried a gun or knife in the past year, the researchers said. [7] Teens who drank five cans of non-diet soda or more each week were more likely to behave aggressively than kids who reported drinking no soda, the researchers reported in Injury Prevention. They found that those who drank a lot of soda were 9 to 15 percent more likely to be violent toward others or to engage in aggressive activities.[11] Teens who drank lots of soda were also more likely to be aggressive toward a sibling -- 45 percent compared with 25 percent among teens who drank little soda. The authors were able to control for a number of factors including gender, race and tobacco and alcohol use but not for some other important factors that could affect the likelihood of violence, such as quality of parenting and poverty. Those who reported drinking lots of soda were also more likely to have also used alcohol or smoked cigarettes. Nearly 30 percent of the ninth to 12th graders said they drank more than five cans of soda a week. It's possible that the association is explained by the soda itself, researchers said. [10]

There was a similar "dose relationship" on other measures of violence. About 27 percent of teens who drank 14 or more cans of soda a week admitted to violence against a romantic partner, compared with 15 percent of those drinking less than one can a week. 59 percent of those drinking 14 or more cans a week had been violent toward peers, compared with 35 percent of those drinking one can or less.[10]

The study found that 23 percent of those consuming one or no cans of soda a week carried a gun or knife, while 15 percent had been engaged in violence toward a partner. In comparison, among those who consumed 14 or more cans a week, 43 percent carried a gun or knife and 27 percent had been violent toward a partner, the researchers found. [1] Most students were either Hispanic or African-American. Factors measured were how many cans of soda drank per week, if the person carried a gun or knife, if they had been violent towards their partner, and if they had been violent towards peers. Students were grouped into those who drank zero to one can per week, and those that drank around fourteen per week. [12]

Among the questions were how much carbonated non-diet soft drink, measured in 12-ounce (355-millilitre) cans, the teens had drunk in the previous seven days. They were also asked whether they drank alcohol or smoked, carried a weapon or showed violence towards peers, family members and partner. [8] Twenty-three percent of teens who drank fewer than one soft drink a week reported carrying a weapon, for example, compared to 43 percent who drank five or more cans a week.[9]

Th researchers also saw an association between soda and weapons even when kids drank less than 14 cans. About 33 percent of teens who drank two to four cans a week said they'd carried a knife or a gun at some point, as did 38 percent of teens who drank five to seven cans of soda. [10] Researchers surveyed almost 19,000 14 to 18-year-olds from 22 Boston schools. They found 43 percent of kids who had 2 or more cans of regular soda a day carried a weapon. That's compared to 23 percent of non-soda drinkers. [4]

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found a "shocking" association between teen violence and soda drink consumption, according to a study published in Injury Prevention journal. [5] "We were surprised at how large the effect was," said David Hemenway, director of the Harvard School of Public Health's Injury Control Research Center in Boston. "It was maintained even when we controlled for alcohol and tobacco and family stuff like eating dinners together," he said. "There was a very strong, stable relationship between more soft drinks that people said they drank and more fights with things like pushing and shoving." [9]Michael Moore,CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), said the findings probably tell us more about the people who drink a lot of soft drink rather than suggesting a causal link between soft drink and anti-social behaviour. "The study really cries out for more research to understand why heavy use of soft drink may be an indicator of poor behaviour and what are the social conditions that lead to such heavy use," he said. "Such a study would also need to look at the impact of alcohol, caffeinated drinks and illicit drugs which we do know have both an indicator and a causal link." Professor Mike Daube, Director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute and the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth said he would "suggest an exceptional degree of caution in interpreting these findings". [6]

Teenagers who drink lots of soft drinks get into more fights and carry more weapons than their peers who drink less, found a new study. [9]

Violence towards peers rose from 35 percent in the low-consumption group to 59 percent in the heaviest soda-drinkers. It's far too soon to claim that soda causes violence, and the new study only shows a correlation, said Bernard Gesch, who researchers diet and behavior at the University of Oxford in the . [9] More than 58% of high soda consumers were violent towards peers, while only 35% of low soda drinkers displayed peer violence. Remember this is a correlation study and does not prove any one part of the soda is directly linked with violent behavior. [12]

Drinking lots of soda may increase the risk of violent behavior in teens, a new study suggests. [7] Teens who drink lots of soda could be missing important micro-nutrients found in healthier foods, according to background information in the study, or could be drinking soda to combat low blood sugar, which is linked to irritability or violence. [10] The study, which was published in the journal Injury Prevention, found that the teens who drank five cans of nondiet soda or more each week were more likely to behave aggressively than kids who reported drinking no soda. [1]Nearly 30 percent of respondents reported consuming more than five cans of soda each week, the researchers reported in Injury Prevention. Heavy soda drinkers didn't seem to get less sleep than anyone else, but they were more likely to have indulged in alcohol and tobacco over the previous month. Even when the researchers controlled for alcohol, tobacco, BMI and other details, though, they found a steady rise in violence alongside higher levels of soda drinking. [9]

There is also good evidence that people who perpetrate violence tend to have abnormalities in that glucose-digesting process. Consuming massive amounts of sugar could set those people up to commit violent acts. In his own research, Gesch found a 26 percent drop in discipline-worthy offenses among prisoners who were given nutritional supplements, while behavior stayed the same in a group that was randomly assigned to take placebo pills. A similar study by Dutch researchers showed a 48 percent drop in bad acts with supplementation. "The evidence that links diet with heart disease could easily fill a warehouse," he added. [9] In 1979, U.S. lawyers successfully argued that a defendant accused of murder had a diminished capacity to understand his actions as a result of switching to a junk food diet, a legal precedent that became known as the "Twinkie Defense." It's possible that thecaffeine and sugar in the soda may directly affect teens' behavior, the researchers said. It's also possible that people who violent have a penchant for soda. [7] Soda consumption, for example, may be a marker of heightened violent tendencies already present in the teen, or of poor parenting, the researchers said. [10]

Even if soda consumption doesn't cause violent behavior, it may be a useful marker for aggressive, the researchers say. [7] Overall, frequent soft drink consumption was associated with a 9 per cent to 15 per cent increased likelihood of engaging in aggressive behavior, researchers said. [1] "There was a significant and strong association between soft drinks and violence," researchers concluded. "There may be a direct cause-and-effect relationship, perhaps due to the sugar or caffeine content of soft drinks, or there may be other factors, unaccounted for in our analyses, that cause both high soft drink consumption and aggression." [5]

While the study couldn't determine whether soft drinks actually cause violence, the findings add to a growing - yet still controversial - body of research on the effects of nutrition on behavior. [9] One researcher says the study says more about the people drinking the soft drinks than the drinks themselves. [6]

"We don't know why. There may be some causal effect but it's also certainly plausible that this is just a marker for other problems - that kids who are violent for whatever reason, they tend to smoke more, they tend to drink more alcohol and they tend to maybe drink more soft drinks. [13]

While there's a chance that the sugar and caffeine from carbonated drinks contributes to violent behavior, the study shows an association, not a cause-and-effect. [10] The results held even after the researchers took into account other factors that have been linked to violent behavior, including age, alcohol and tobacco use, and the frequency of family dinners. [7]

Sara Solnick, a co-author of the study, said there's no reason to think that drinking soda causes teens to be violent and the study was intended to better understand factors that lead to youth violence. [11] A recent study conducted in Boston shows a correlation between high soda intake and violence among teens. [12]

MONDAY, Oct. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Teens who drink lots of soda seem to be prone to violence, new research suggests. [10] The studies on the effect of caffeine and sugar on behavior are inconclusive, said another expert. "There's no definitive explanation that this explains how or if this might affect behavior," said Dr. Alan Manevitz, a psychiatrist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "soda could be showing that this person is not having a healthy diet or they don't have a great upbringing," Solnick said. "Those things are connected to violence." [10]

Paris - Researchers in the U.S. said on Tuesday they had found a "shocking" association - if only a statistical one - between violence by teenagers and the amount of soda they drank. [13]

Teens who consumed fourteen cans of soda per week were far more likely to carry a gun or knife and be violent towards others. [12]

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The new study was based on answers to questionnaires filled out by 1,878 public-school students aged 14 to 18 in the inner Boston area, where Hemenway said crime rates were much higher than in the wealthier suburbs. [8] The research has also exposed a higher crime rate among wealthier suburbs than other children of same age. David Hemenway claimed that the study has also pinpointed the need to study the impact of home environment along with factors such as tendency of kids to enjoy meals with the family. [3]

SOURCES

1. Grabbing a second soda? New study says think again | The State Column
2. Sugary Soda | Violent Teens | The Daily Caller
3. Carbonated Drinks Increase Aggressive Behavior, Says Study | TopNews New Zealand
4. Sugary soda makes teens more violent, researchers claim
5. Teen violence linked to soda consumption: study - GlobalPost
6. Study links teen violence to soft drink consumption | News.com.au
7. Soda Consumption Tied to Aggression | Teen Violence | My Health News Daily
8. Teen violence linked to fizzy drinks | News.com.au
9. Study: Drinking Soda May Cause Teen Violence | Fox News
10. Soft drinks linked to violent tendencies in teens
11. Soda Linked To Teen Violence, Study Says - Health News Story - WCVB Boston
12. Soda Linked to Teen Violence
13. Teen violence linked to soda: News24: Sci-Tech: News

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