英警告：甜食、加工食品吃太多　小孩易怒學習遲緩

UK Warning on Sweets and Processed Foods Excessive Intake by Children

Leads to Irritability and Lackluster Studies

英國食品標準局警告父母，最好不要讓孩子吃太多甜食，飲料跟加工食品，因為這類食品當中所含的人工添加物可能會導致孩童易怒跟學習緩慢等症狀。

The Food Standards Agency of the UK has issued a warning to parents to avoid children to consume too many sweets, beverages or processed foods as the artificial additives these contain may lead to irritability, poor scholastic performance or other conditions.

碳酸飲料與零食是許多小朋友的最愛，但是父母要是發現小孩有容易發脾氣、不容易專心或是學習緩慢等症狀時，就要注意是不是吃了太多這類食物。英國食品標準局公佈的研究顯示，飲料甜食與加工食品中常見的食品添加物，和孩子的易怒等症狀關係密切，家長最好盡量避免讓孩子食用含有人工添加物的飲食。

Carbonated beverages and snack foods are many children’s favorites, but parents who notice their children becoming prone to angry outbursts, having difficulty concentrating or falling behind in their studies should consider whether they are consuming such foods in excess. A report issued by the Food Standards Agency indicates a close relationship between the additives found in sweets, beverages and processed foods and such symptoms as irritability. Parents are thus advised to avoid allowing their children to consume foodstuffs containing these artificial additives.

其實早在20幾年前就有研究顯示，部分添加物會引發呼吸跟氣喘等過敏反應，甚至可能影響腦部發展，另外還有家長指控食品添加物跟過動症有關。近年來，罹患注意力不足過動症的孩童大量增加，英國健保每年開立的過動症處方箋就比10幾年前暴增了90倍，有家長認為，現代的孩子吃太多加工食品，只要孩童回歸自然飲食症狀就會改善。

Studies conducted as early as 20 years ago showed that certain additives could lead to respiratory problems, asthma or other allergic reactions, and even affect development of the brain. Parents have also implicated additives in hyperactivity disorder. In fact, the number of children exhibiting attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has soared in recent years and the number of prescriptions for ADHD medications issued by the NHS (National Health Service) has grown by a multiple of 90 over the last decade. Some parents believe that today’s children consume too many processed foods and that if children were to return to a natural diet these symptoms would improve.

dessert 飯後點心(通常為甜點)  a savoury 鹹點心   tapas 西班牙小菜

refreshment 上午或下午會議或工作間的點心       snack foods 零食

抓狂 to have/throw a tantrum, to fly into a tantrum    peevish 對每件小事生氣

In an angry outburst, Putin accused the Bush regime of rank hypocrisy. 嚴重的,complete

spleen 脾    pancreas 胰 

She is very accident-prone/ heartbreak-prone/ bankruptcy-prone.

She has the golden touch/ Midas touch.

另外 in addition/ furthermore/ otherwise