Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Cranky Monsters
Supermodels are famously skinny, and also infamously bitchy. It's fairly well accepted that the two must be connected - when I'm too hungry, I can be pretty cranky as well. Now, new research indicates that malnourished kids grow up to be anti-social and to have behavioral problems.
I don't have too much trouble believing this - the brain's development is so sensitive, it's not shocking that malnourishment would have effects - but a press release doesn't give all the details I need to evaluate. I wonder if the study was controlled for socio-economic status or general health? Kids from poorer (and thus generally rougher) backgrounds tend to have more behavioral problems, as do sickly kids.
The ending quote of the article really pisses me off, however. To say that "[poor diet] can cause hyperactivity disorders" but not other behavioral problems is utterly and completely idiotic. That is the kind of statement that really makes you question a scientist's credibility.
I don't have too much trouble believing this - the brain's development is so sensitive, it's not shocking that malnourishment would have effects - but a press release doesn't give all the details I need to evaluate. I wonder if the study was controlled for socio-economic status or general health? Kids from poorer (and thus generally rougher) backgrounds tend to have more behavioral problems, as do sickly kids.
The ending quote of the article really pisses me off, however. To say that "[poor diet] can cause hyperactivity disorders" but not other behavioral problems is utterly and completely idiotic. That is the kind of statement that really makes you question a scientist's credibility.
