Junk Food May Give Your Kids ADHD

Fast food burgers and fries are about as American as apple pie. And while these meals' links to childhood obesity are well-documented, turns out junk food may contribute to another health malady — Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

According to a WA News story, researchers at Australia's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research recently released the results of its study examining how various diets affect children's cognitive health. The study, led by Wendy Oddy, involved 1,800 teenagers. While some of the teens ate a diet comprised mostly of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fish, others ate a mostly "Western-style" diet (i.e. processed, fried foods high in fat, calories, sugar, and salt). Scientists found that teens who consumed the latter were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than those who ate healthy.

And it's not just the fat and calories that impact kids' health (though these are, of course, serious concerns). Researchers think that junk foods' cognitive impacts come from the intense amount of additives, flavors, and artificial colors present in processed foods. These synthetic ingredients may be leading to hyperactivity or altering chemicals in the brain that control attention and concentration. Remember that "This is your brain on drugs" public service announcement with the egg and frying pan? A "This is your brain on McDonald's" version may be what's needed in 2010.

There's been a lot of discussion lately about the health impacts of marketing junk foods to kids and teens, but most of that talk focuses on children's expanding waistlines. Not that I'm surprised — with about one-third of America's kids weighing in as obese or overweight, this large problem (literally) needs a critical look. This study paints an even more grim picture of the nation's serious junk food addiction. Fast food, takeout, and highly processed goods don't just add an extra layer of flub to country's youth — they may actually hinder their ability to think, learn, and interact socially, a problem even more frightening than the risk of obesity, heart disease, or diabetes.

Right now, more than five percent of America's kids are diagnosed with ADHD, a pretty significant number. But as the Telethon Institute's study notes, one piece of this cognitive puzzle isn't totally clear—whether an unhealthy diet causes ADHD, or whether ADHD leads to bad dietary choices. Kind of a "Which came first, the chicken nugget or the brain disorder?" type of dilemma.

As much as I love a good riddle, it doesn't really matter which came first when the end result is the same. ADHD and childhood obesity are both blights on the nation's youth, and it's clear that junk food plays a significant role in both of these health problems. Judging by the number of sugary snack and processed food advertisements that are geared towards kids, food manufacturers aren't taking these concerns seriously. Sign our petition asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restrict how junk food is marketed to children and teenagers.

Photo credit: zorilla via Flickr