Childhood Sweet Tooth Linked to Depression and Alcoholism

A new study conducted in Philadelphia finds that children are more likely to have a sweet tooth if they have a family history of alcoholism, or if they've suffered from depression. Sugary foods and alcohol trigger many of the same reward circuits in the brain, so scientists in this case decided to test the sweet tooth of children with a family history of alcoholism. They also hypothesized that children who suffer from childhood depression might be more likely to crave sweets to make themselves feel better.

The study involved 300 children between the ages of 5 and 12. About half of them had a family history of alcoholism. About 25% of the children showed signs of depression.
Researchers gave the children five different sweetened water samples containing different levels of sugar and asked them which one they liked best. The children who preferred the sweetest sample were the ones who had both a family history of alcoholism, as well as symptoms of depression.

The findings suggest that a preference for sweets might not be solely about taste buds, but instead could have to do with the child's chemical makeup and family history. The study is careful to point out that children with a sweet tooth won't necessarily grow up to become alcoholics or suffer from depression.

Please contact us if you or a loved one needs help for alcohol dependence or symptoms of depression.

Teen Binge Drinking

Penn State Freshman Joe Dado died this weekend following a frat party in Philadelphia. He was 18. It appears that a very intoxicated Dado lost his balance in a stairwell on his way home and fell 15 feet to his death. This is a very sad, unnecessary, and unfortunate loss. My thoughts go out to his family and friends. Teen binge drinking is largely looked upon as a rite of passage in this country, but tragedies such as these shine light on the very unfortunate outcomes that can occur. Teen binge drinking is a serious issue, and may lead to more problems down the road. It can be difficult to decipher between “normal” experimentation and problem drinking, but binge drinking may be a red flag indicating bigger underlying problems. The inability to stop drinking once I started was one of the big clues I had a problem. I didn’t drink every day, and could go quite a while without it, but I thought about it all the time. And when I did drink, I always blacked out or came to the next morning with big consequences. Knowing what’s going on in your teen’s life may help parents to keep an eye out for their teen. Teens know they shouldn’t drink and drive, but I know I never considered I might fall to my death when I was drinking. Binge drinking is a serious issue, with potentially deadly consequences. If you think that your teen may have a problem with binge drinking, don’t hesitate to contact us today for adolescent drug and alcohol treatment .