BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Children's sweet tooth explained

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Children's sweet tooth explained: "A compulsion for sweets is a well-known part of childhood, and research could have now explained why children love sugar quite so much.

The study, carried out in the US, found a direct link between children's growth and their preference for sugary drinks.

It showed that youngsters who preferred the sweetest drinks were the ones that were growing the fastest.

Researchers from the University of Washington and Monell Chemical Senses Center collaborated on the work.

The team used what they described as a 'sip and spit' method to test the children's preference for sugary drinks.

''Kids love sweets; they'll put sugar on frosted flakes. But that love seems to decline with age,' said Susan Coldwell from the University of Washington, who led the study."