Sugar Cravings in Children

Sugar cravings in children can indicate a number of conditions more serious than a simple sweet tooth. Rates of conditions associated with sugar consumption, including Type II diabetes and obesity, continue rising steadily. The serious impact of unregulated sugar consumption in children has given rise to public health initiatives across a wide range of medical specialties.

Parents should not dismiss a child's pronounced attraction to sugar as typical. Sugar cravings can indicate a number of serious illnesses and conditions. Indulging sugar cravings can create or worsen life-threatening illnesses. Children suffering from sugar cravings should be examined by a medical professional who will recommend a suitable course of action. A pediatrician can also sort through some myths about the effects of sugar consumption in children.

Tooth Decay

• Children consuming diets high in sugar as a result of cravings commonly suffer tooth decay. The American Dental Association identifies sugar-sweetened foods, particularly beverages, as a major threat to children's oral health. Indulging sugar cravings in children can cause irreversible damage to their teeth and gums.

Insulin Disorders

• Sugar cravings are commonly associated with insulin disorders in children. Pubmed.gov, a US government health information service, sites numerous complications associated with Insulin Resistance (IR) in children. IR is a serious condition characterized by disruption of the insulin's role in metabolism. Sugar cravings are typically associated with IR, but because diets rich in sugar hasten the progression of the disorder, sufferers of all ages are encouraged to restrict consumption of sweet.

  Resisting the urge to indulge is difficult for anyone with a biological craving, but insulin resistant children with regular access to sugared beverages and high-carbohydrate food options face a serious challenge in making healthy food choices. Feeding the sugar cravings in children with IR worsens the condition and speeds the onset of IR complications, including diabetes, obesity, female infertility, kidney failure, and countless more deadly or disabling conditions.

ADHD

• Holistic treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) typically includes diet modification to reduce or eliminate simple carbohydrates like sugar. Parents and professionals report improvement in cravings and behavior with the removal of sugar, but there is no scientific evidence supporting a connection between sugar and ADHD. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) names sugar consumption as one of the most popular and unfounded myths about ADHD. The CDC also warns that reports of recovery due to diet modification should be regarded as "anecdotal" and advises parents to speak to their child's pediatrician for facts about reliable treatment options.

Candida

• Parents are urged to speak with their child's pediatrician if cravings persist. The Online Journal of the American Association of Integrative Medicine lists sugar cravings as a strong indication of candida overgrowth. Candida is a naturally occurring yeast that is unproblematic in typical quantities.

  When candida is overfed carbohydrates, as with a diet high in sugar, it becomes an infection with a number of serious brain and body symptoms. Sugar cravings result as the growing quantity of Candida requires larger, more frequent feedings. The cycle does not end without intervention and will eventually lead to more pronounced symptoms, including obesity.

Obesity

• Sugar cravings in children must be controlled to prevent childhood obesity. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement encouraging pediatricians to work as community leaders and combat the epidemic by helping make low-sugar and low-fat food options available to families and children. A parent's determination to resist a child's craving can help prevent obesity and its serious complications.