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Why Kids Like Sweets
Why do kids of all cultures love sweet-tasting foods compared to adults? Here's a hint...it has to do with growing like a weed. New research from the University of Washington and the Monell Chemical Senses Center indicates that this preference for sweets is based in human biology and is related to the high growth rate in children.
This does actually make sense because when growth is rapid, the body's calorie demands do similarly increase and the programmed preference for sweet foods will point kids in the direction of high calorie foods.
The researchers looked at sweet preference and biological measures of growth and physical maturation in 143 children between the ages of 11 and 15. The findings, reported in the journal Physiology & Behavior, suggest that keen preference for sweet foods is related to their high growth rate and that as children's growth slows and eventually stops, their preference for sweets likewise declines.
At least we know part of the reason why children seem to gravitate toward sweets...now how do we explain why many grown ups still have their sweet tooth?
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This does actually make sense because when growth is rapid, the body's calorie demands do similarly increase and the programmed preference for sweet foods will point kids in the direction of high calorie foods.
The researchers looked at sweet preference and biological measures of growth and physical maturation in 143 children between the ages of 11 and 15. The findings, reported in the journal Physiology & Behavior, suggest that keen preference for sweet foods is related to their high growth rate and that as children's growth slows and eventually stops, their preference for sweets likewise declines.
At least we know part of the reason why children seem to gravitate toward sweets...now how do we explain why many grown ups still have their sweet tooth?
Related Topics:
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