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The intention was to prevent tooth decay by regulating candy intake. But it turns out that mandating a special weekly(!) day for candy consumption had the oppos
by fleebee 1y ago
The intention was to prevent tooth decay by regulating candy intake. But it turns out that mandating a special weekly(!) day for candy consumption had the opposite effect. Children are naturally interested in things that are forbidden from them, and so when the restrictions are lifted they tend to eat large amounts of candy. Furthermore, restrictions and rules are not a good way of teaching moderation. Practices like Saturday candy facilitate an unhealthy relationship with food, which is why it's not longer a recommendation in Finland -- I'm not sure about the other Nordics.
- Ma8ee 1y agoChildren are naturally interested in sweets! You don't need to make them forbidden for that. And just you are allowed to eat sweets only one day of the week doesn't mean that they are allowed to unlimited amounts of it, and, in my experience, interested to overeat it. Why would it foster an unhealthy relationship with food to learn that some things are unhealthy and eaten only at special occasions? An unhealthy relationship with food would rather be to think that you can eat sweets whenever you feel for it.
- imp0cat 1y agoMy limited experience seems to suggest the same thing the op wrote. The more your hide something from kids, the more they crave it. If there is no limit, they will eventually get bored of it.
- Ma8ee 1y agoI guess that's why American kids never eat junk food or drink soda instead of water. I'm sure the 35% of the US population that are obese will get tired of eating badly any day now.
- cristea 1y ago"Lørdagsgodteri" here in Norway was always restricted though. I read your comment as if kids have unlimited access to candy, which I have never heard of. The idea is that the parents give the kids the amount of candy allowed, and they only do that in saturdays.
- QuantumNomad_ 1y agoRight? When I was a child growing up in Norway, we went to the kiosk on Saturdays to buy my lørdagsgodteri and I was given a very specific small amount of money to buy a couple of hectograms of candy for or thereabouts.
- boxed 1y agoMy wife once asked a friend from England what they have "instead of lördagsgodis". The reply? "Obese kids".
- koala_man 1y ago> The intention was to prevent tooth decay by regulating candy intake. Yes, but crucially not by reducing candy intake. The result of the study was that the amount of sugar didn't particularly matter, but frequency of intake and stickiness did.