More Soda Leads to Aggressive Behavior in Children

A new study has found evidence of aggressive behavior in children who drink four or more servings of soft drinks every day.

Information for the study came from the mothers of three thousand five-year-olds. Researchers asked the women to keep a record of how many servings of soft drinks their children drank over a two-month period. The women were also asked to complete a checklist of their children's behavior.

The researchers found that 43 percent of the boys and girls drank at least one daily serving of soda. Four percent of the youngsters had four or more sodas to drink every day.

Shakira Suglia is with Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. She worked on the study with researchers from the University of Vermont and Harvard University School of Public Health. She says they found that children who drank the most soda were more than two times as likely as those who drank no soda to show signs of aggression.

"For the children who consumed four or more soft drinks per day, we see an association between aggressive behaviors, attention problems and withdrawn behaviors."

The aggressive behaviors included destroying possessions belonging to others, taking part in fights and physically attacking people. Shakira Suglia says the researchers identified the link after they considered socio-demographic factors like the child's age and sex. They also considered other possible influences, such as whether the boys and girls were eating sweets or given fruit drinks on a normal day. In addition, the researchers examined parenting styles and other social conditions that might be taking place in the home.

Doctor Suglia says it is not clear why young children who drink a lot of soda have behavior problems.

"We can't prove that this is a direct cause and effect relationship. Having said that, there are a lot of ingredients in soda, a lot of ingredients that have not been examined in relation to behavior."

A substance often found in soft drinks is caffeine, which helps to make people feel energized. Doctor Suglia suggests that caffeine could be causing the five year olds to be more aggressive.

The research is part of a larger study called the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. It follows 5,000 poor mothers and their children in 20 American cities.

Earlier studies of young adults have found the highest sugar levels in those who carry weapons and show signs of negative social behavior.

词汇解析

aggressive

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

adj.侵略的;进攻性的;好斗的;有进取心的

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

His style of argument in meetings is not so much aggressive as pertinacious.

他在会议上的辩论态度并非锋芒逼人而是坚持己见。

But what impresses most is that they are aggressive in their career and responsible to their families and respectful to females.

但最印象深刻的,上海男人在事业上有进取心,对家庭有很强的责任感,而且尊重女性。

normal

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

adj.正常的;正规的;精神健全的

n.常态;标准

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

Everything is absolutely normal.

一切完全正常。

用作名词 (n.)

It was several days before the floodwater sank and life returned to normal.

过了几天洪水才退,生活恢复了正常。

relation

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.关系;联系;亲戚;陈述;参考

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

Relation between the two countries has reached a crisis point.

两国关系已达到出现危机的地步。

The aim of this paper is to examine the theory to reality in relation to HPH and review the current Healthy Hospital Accreditation policy in Taipei City.

本文采用文献探讨方式，探讨国际间推行健康促进医院的相关文献，具体了解健康促进医院的内涵，以作为我国发展健康促进医院的参考。

substance

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.实质;物质;财产;内容;重要性

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

Later he became a man of substance.

后来，他成为颇具资产的人。

This argument has some substance.

这项争论具有一定的重要性。

research

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

n.研究;调查

v.研究;调查

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

Research indicates that men find it easier to give up smoking than women.

研究表明，男人比女人更容易戒烟。

用作动词 (v.)

They have been researching the effects of the drug on mice.

他们一直在研究老鼠对这种药物的反应。

sugar

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.糖，食糖;糖缸;甜言蜜语，阿谀奉承;宝贝，心肝

v.使甜;在...上撒糖

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

I bought him a packet of sugar.

我给他买了一袋糖果。

用作动词 (v.)

If the lemonade tastes bitter,sugar it.

如果柠檬水发苦，就加糖。

bureau

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.局;办事处;(带抽屉的)写字台

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

She put the envelope beneath her underwear in the bureau, a place Richard would never look.

她把信封放在梳妆台抽屉的内衣下面,这里理查德是决不会看的地方。