You are what you eat, kids. This week’s news seems stuffed (pardon the pun) with reasons to pursue a healthy diet. It could help boost a toddler’s IQ and improve the symptoms of a child with ADHD. Kate Northstone at the University of Bristol reckons a toddler left to snack on sweets and crisps could be left with a lower IQ later in life.

Northstone’s team collected data on the eating habits and IQ of almost 4000 children over six years. After accounting for other known influences on IQ, the team found that three-year-old children on a diet high in fat and sugar had lower IQ scores five years later than those fed healthier diets. Eight-year-olds with fruit- and vegetable-laden diets also scored more highly on IQ tests than those on less healthy diets. The results were published today in the
Journal of Epidemiological Community Health.

Given that around 23 per cent of children start school either overweight or obese, it’s absolutely clear that healthy choices as part of their early development will stand children in good stead – not only for keeping a healthy weight as they grow up, but, as this evidence suggests, improving their ability to do well […]