Halloween And The Secret Cause Of Violence

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Halloween and The Secret Cause of Violence By Jed Diamond, Ph.D. Contact: [email protected] www.MenAlive.com It’s Halloween season, and most children are going to be gobbling up sugary treats for weeks after the big night. According to brain researcher, Daniel G. Amen, M.D., “Many parents find that after children eat sweets, they are practically bouncing off the walls. Here’s another reason why you may want to rethink how much candy you allow your children to eat at Halloween and on a regular basis.” New research in the British Journal of Psychiatry shows that children who snack on sweets every day are more likely to exhibit violent behavior as adults. The study, which involved more than 17,500 individuals, found that children who ate candy and chocolate on a daily basis at age 10 were significantly more likely to have been convicted for violence at age 34. Of the study participants who were violent as adults, 69 percent had consumed sugary treats and chocolate on an everyday basis as children. Among the non-violent participants, 42 percent reported eating treats daily as children. This link between sugary confections and violence held up even when researchers factored in other environmental factors. The researchers hypothesized that the connection may be due to the fact that children who are allowed to eat treats daily do not learn to delay gratification, a key skill associated with impulse control.

This theory makes sense to me considering that other studies have shown that preschoolers who know how to delay gratification achieve higher academic performance, cope better with stress and frustrations, and have better social and cognitive skills as adolescents. We can thank celebrated psychology professor and researcher Walter Mischel and his famous “marshmallow experiment” for these insights. You can find several reenactments of this landmark experiment on YouTube — just search for “marshmallow test.” This new study reminds us that the foods we feed our children have a direct impact on not only their physical health but also their emotional well-being. When you teach children how to eat for their brains when they are young, they are likely to develop good habits that will serve them their whole lives. Exposure equals preference, so what you feed them now can help determine their long-term food choices. This Halloween, I urge you to skip the junk food. There is no constitutional amendment that children have a right to junk food. Parents somehow feel that they are depriving their kids if they don’t allow them to have candy. Instead of doling out candy to the kids this year, consider handing out small bags of dried fruit, Halloween-themed stickers, or funny spider rings. At home, make some healthy snacks your children like before they go trick-or-treating. When they get back home, swap out the bad candy for the homemade treats. You can also encourage your children to get into the spirit of giving by donating their candy to a local charity. To Your Brain Health, Daniel Daniel G. Amen, MD CEO, Amen Clinics, Inc. Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association