4 Troubled Teens Blog

A British study found that people who eat junk food are more likely to be depressed. Though the study focused on adults, the results could bode ill for young people who are developing poor eating habits.

• Dr. Archana Singh-Manoux and her colleagues studied more than 3,500 middle-aged people, dividing them into two groups.
• The first group ate a diet of wholesome foods, such as fruits, vegetables and fish.
• The second group ate a diet of mainly processed foods, such as fried foods, processed meats and desserts.
• People in the second group had a 58 percent higher risk for depression.

Dr. Singh-Manoux reported being unsure if this finding could be explained by some other lifestyle factors not considered in the study, which appears in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Labels: depression, diet, nutrition

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

A controversial study from Cardiff University in Great Britain found that children who eat sweets and chocolate every day are more likely to become violent adults.

Dr. Simon Moore and his colleagues evaluated data on 17,500 people and found that almost 70 percent of those who had eaten sweets every day as children became violent adults by age 34 years old.

"Not being able to delay gratification may push them towards more impulsive behavior, which is strongly associated with delinquency," said Dr. Moore. "Targeting resources in improving children's diet may improve health and reduce aggression."

Labels: violence, behavioral_issues, diet

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Boys who eat more fish than average are less likely to be depressed, according to a new study from Japan.

• Researchers studied 3,067 boys and 3,450 girls ages 12 to 15 years old.
• Based on their scores on a scale from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression, 22% of the boys and 31% of the girls were depressed.
• Having a diet high in fish provided some protection to boys against being depressed, but the same was not true for girls.

The study was published in the journal Pediatrics.

Labels: depression, diet, nutrition, boys

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments