Poor Diet May Increase The Risk Of Mental Health Problems In Children

Poor diet isn't just responsible for increased weight gain. Recent findings published in the American Journal of Public Health show that for children in particular, poor diet can even lead to mental health issues.

"Our findings highlight the potential importance of the relationship between dietary patterns or quality and mental health early in the life span," the researchers noted, in a news release.

For the study, scientists at the School of Medicine at Deakin University in Australia reviewed 12 studies, including a total of 83,000 children between the ages of four-and-a-half and 18.

Researchers examined certain mental health and dietary measures, including the Child Behavior Checklist, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Food Frequency Questionnaire. 

Findings revealed that a link to unhealthy diet was connected to poor mental health, in some instances--adding that problems such as anxiety, depression and mood disorders would often come about for young children on an improper diet.

"This systematic review assessed the relationship between children's dietary intake and mental health by evaluating the level of evidence of cross-sectional studies, meaning that diet and mental health were measured at the same time, so you can't tell which came first," added Jayne A. Fulkerson, Ph.D., director of the Center for Child and Family Health Promotion Research at the University of Minnesota. "However, we know that good nutrition can help children in a variety of ways, including better concentration, school performance, and weight, so providing healthful foods is an important factor to promote children's health, including mood."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal article "Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: a systemic review."