Why Restricting Sugar Can Backfire: Understanding Children’s Relationship with Sweets

2023-07-03 16:50:00

“Only 2 gummy bears, then it’s over”

She says, “The control we exercise to keep our kids off sugar is what makes candy special. ‘Just two more gummy bears and we’re done!’ is, for example, a sentence that we take up in the book. These words have probably already crossed the lips of many parents. ‘Just two more pieces of cucumber, but that’s enough!’ I haven’t heard parents say it though…”

In the media and also among parents, he is the culprit par excellence. There are an incredible number of fears and limiting beliefs surrounding this topic.

Julia Litschko

But what do such prohibitions, regulations and rules do with children? It confuses her. Because children do not (yet) know “good” and “bad” foods. On the contrary:

“They eat what is good for them whenever they are hungry. When they then feel that gummy bears are regulated, but gherkins can be eaten in abundance, then children think: Hey, sweet things must be something special! And there’s already a focus on gummy bears that doesn’t really belong there…” explains the nutrition expert.

Why do children eat too much sugar?

So, from now on, my child can only eat as much sugar as they want? Not a good idea either, because: “Of course, sugar can make you ill and also lead to obesity if we don’t deal with it in a needs-oriented manner. So in all clarity: Too much sugar makes you sick. There is nothing to shake”, emphasizes Julia Litschko emphatically.

According to the expert, we should rather ask ourselves why children eat more sugar than is good for them. Litschko’s guess:

Maybe they’re overeating on sweets because we’re severely limiting sugar and putting it on a pedestal.

Another possible explanation is the so-called emotional eating of the children. For example, they eat when you are sad, frustrated, or bored. “A sugar ban will not solve this problem,” said Litschko. Rather, parents should ask themselves why their child is in an emotional imbalance.

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