Fat Talk Quotes

“The result: None of the kids, even the “sugar-sensitive” ones, showed any meaningful differences after following each diet. “Even when the intake exceeds typical dietary levels, neither dietary sucrose nor aspartame affects children’s behavior or cognitive function,” the researchers concluded. The “sugar high” had been officially debunked. The 1994 results have been replicated in several subsequent studies and yet—I’ve never attended a child’s birthday party where someone didn’t invoke the specter of the sugar high as soon as the cake is cut.”
― Virginia Sole-Smith, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture

“As I float, I spread out my arms And my legs. I’m a starfish, Taking up all the room I want. —Lisa Fipps, Starfish (2021)”
― Virginia Sole-Smith, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture

“the theory that sugar can induce hyperactivity or any other kind of high isn’t supported by the research. The notion that sugar intake could lead to what was then called “the neurotic child” was first proposed in the medical literature in 1922, and later gained popularity during the 1970s, when researchers were first studying attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. But these early studies failed to control for many other factors that we know now can play a role in a child’s ADHD management, including their sleep schedule, parents’ stress levels, and genetics.”
― Virginia Sole-Smith, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture