PA
In news that will delight kids the length and breadth of the country, researchers are claiming that sweets are GOOD for children and could stop them getting fat in later life!
Scientists have found that youngsters who regularly eat chocolate and other sweet-shop treats are significantly less likely to be overweight or obese than those who do not. This appears to continue into adolescence, when those who eat sweets are even more likely to be thinner.
Researchers at Louisiana State University who undertook the study looked at more than 11,000 children and youngsters between the ages of two and 18 from 1999 to 2004.
The data they collected showed that the kids who ate sweets were 22 per cent less likely to be overweight or obese than those who did not.
Amongst the older children, even more – 26 per cent – were likely to weigh less than their counterparts who did not eat sweets.
The report's authors said that children who were fed the right portions of sweets from an early age learned the vital skill of 'food discipline'.
They also said those who ate treats just on special occasions were more aware of their eating habits and able to 'successfully navigate the calories in, calories out balance'.
What is your attitude towards sweets? Do you let your children eat as many as they want, or are they only allowed them on special occasions, or at the weekend?