Can Healthy Food Stop Crime? What a Prison Study Found
keep out of trouble: to avoid doing anything wrong or misbehaving
In the 1970s, a man named Dan White was on trial for murder. His lawyers suggested that his poor diet of Coca-Cola and Twinkies might have influenced his actions. The media mocked the excuse as the “Twinkie defense.” Even though White confessed to the crime, he was only sentenced to 7 years in jail.
While there’s no evidence that a poor diet will turn you into a criminal, researchers have found that eating healthier food can make people behave better. For example, in one study, they changed the food in a youth prison to less sugar and more fruits and vegetables. The result was a 45% drop in bad behavior. Another big study with over 8000 young prisoners found that more nutritious food led to 47% fewer problems. This means that eating healthy doesn’t just make us feel better but also might keep us out of trouble.
Sample sentences
1. My mom always tells me to study hard and listen to my teachers to keep out of trouble.
2. He joined the football team because he thought sports would help him keep out of trouble.
3. If you want to keep out of trouble, you should choose your friends carefully.
Read More:
The “Twinkie defense”: What we know about diet and crime