Norwegian teenagers who drink four or more sugary soft drinks a day are more likely to report mental distress, hyperactivity and conduct problems than teens who drink less.

Researchers at the University of Oslo who conducted the new study are not sure if soft drinks actually cause mental illness symptoms in teens. If the drinks are to blame, then researchers do not know whether it is the sugar or caffeine in them that is the actual culprit. Other studies have shown that sugar does not affect children with hyperactive disorders, despite what parents and teachers may believe.

Although the teens in the study who drank the most soda were in the worst shape in terms of hyperactivity and mental distress, teens who drank moderate amounts scored better than those who drank no soda at all.

The Oslo research team interviewed 5498 tenth graders ages 15 to 16 years old about their soda consumption, smoking habits, family structure, and food choices. The teens also answered the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist, which asks whether you feel anxious, panicky, tense, dizzy, sad, hopeless, and so forth. About 10% of the boys and 4% of the girls scored high for such problems. These children were more likely to consume four or more soft drinks per day. Other factors like smoking habits and food choices were not associated with the mental health problems.

Norwegians drink more soda or "fizzy drinks" as they call them, than any other people in the world. Dr. Lars Lien, author of the report, advises public policy makers to raise the price of the drinks so that teenagers can't afford them. This study appeared in the October 2006 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Labels: causes of childhood obesity, sodas