Or is it one of science vs. prejudice? In the 19th century it was taken as plain and obvious that white men were superior to all others. White men were civilized and ruled by reason. Women were ruled by emotion. People of color were either barbarous and ignorant, or, if Asian, crafty and dishonest.
Now when we don't want to interrogate the adult-child relationship we use sugar as an excuse. I've watched children play their parents based on the notion that sugar causes "hyperactivity." My children consumed as much sugar as any, but I never saw such correlation (which is not causation BTW. Everybody misses that inconvenient little detail.)