Contrary to popular belief, studies have shown that there's little connection between eating sugar and hyperactivity. One study compared a group of normal kids to a group of kids whose parents believed they were sensitive to sugar. Each group followed a different diet for three consecutive weeks. One of the diets was high in sugar, one was low in sugar, and one contained artificial sweeteners like saccharin. After nine weeks the study showed that the different diets had almost no effect on behavior. The supposedly sugar-sensitive kids were just as little affected as the normal kids when they ate more sugar.
Why do kids seem to get so wild when they eat sugary foods?
Scientists think that the culprit may be other ingredients in sweet foods, such as caffeine in things like chocolate and soda. There's also the excitement of getting a sugary treat. Lots of times things like cake and ice cream are served at parties or other events that get kids excited. Sometimes just the thrill of eating that stuff is enough to get a kid hyped up.