That trip to the chipper or through the drive-thru may be easy and convenient, saving you the hassle of preparing dinner at home, but it is having lifetime implications for your children! A study conducted by an academic at the University of London reports that children who consume more fast food grow up to have a lower IQ than those who regularly eat freshly-cooked meals. 4,000 Scottish children aged 3-5 years old were examined to compare the intelligence dampening effects of fast food consumption versus  “from scratch”  meals prepared with only fresh ingredients. Dr. Sophie von Stumm of the Department of Psychology at the University of London said: “It’s common sense that the type of food we eat will affect brain development, but previous research has only looked at the effects of specific food groups on children’s IQ rather than at generic types of meals.”

Higher fast food consumption by the children was linked with lower intelligence and this was even after adjustments for wealth and social status were taken into account.The conclusions of this study confirm previous research which shows long lasting effects on IQ from a child’s diet. An Australian study from the University of Adelaide published in August 2012 showed that toddlers who consume junk food grow less smart as they get older.    In that study, 7000 children were examined at the age of 6 months, 15 months, 2 years to examine their diet.When the children were examined again at age 8, children who were consuming the most unhealthy food had IQs up to 2 points lower than children eating a wholesome diet.

Tips for stopping your children from eating fast food and nutrient poor processed foods:

Just don’t buy it or bring it into the house.   If it’s not in the cupboard, your kids won’t be eating it and neither will you.   Simple as that. Keep a few containers of healthy snacks like seeds and nuts with you in the car for when the family is ravenous and tempted by the drive thru or other unhealthy snacks.If your kids don’t want the healthy snacks and only are asking for junk food, they aren’t really hungry. It’s either boredom or emotional eating so just say no and wait until you get home to prepare them a decent meal. Your kids will thank you later when they have an easier time with school and life in general as a result of your efforts! If you have drawn a line about fast food in your home and have tips please share!

Also, don’t forget to treat you child with nice things as well, Click to find out more here.

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