Fast food linked to poor test scores

NASHVILLE, May 23 (UPI) -- Children who ate fast food more than three times a week scored lower on literacy tests, researchers at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee said.

The researchers studied more than 5,500 primary school children, with parental income, race and weight taken into account, The Daily Telegraph in Britain reported Saturday.

Students who reported eating burgers and other fast food more than three times weekly scored lower, by as much as 16 percent, on reading and math tests, researchers studying a link between poor diet and academic ability said.

"It is possible that the types of food served at fast food restaurants cause cognitive difficulties that result in lower test scores," said Kerri Tobin, who oversaw the research.

It's also possible the tendency to eat fast food results from lower test scores, rather than resulting in lower test scores, Tobin said.