Summary
A study published in the journal Lancet confirms what some health experts have been saying all along: fast food is fat food. As fast food consumption has grown, so has obesity in America. In the late 80s and early 90s, only about 23 percent of the population was obese--now the figure approaches 30 percent. Obesity is blamed for 300,000 deaths and health care costs of $100 billion each year.
Original source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050111154950.htm
Details
Fast-food consumption has strong positive associations with weight gain and insulin resistance, suggesting that fast food increases the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, conclude authors of a US study in this week's issue of THE LANCET.
Obesity is increasing in the USA; at the turn of the millennium around 30% of Americans were clinically obese (having a body-mass index of 30 kg per metre squared or more) compared with 23% of the population during the period 1988--94.
Mark A Pereira (University of Minnesota), David S Ludwig (Childrens Hospital Boston), and colleagues investigated the association between reported fast-food habits and changes in bodyweight and insulin resistance over a 15-year period in the USA.
Overall, white women consumed less fast food (average 1.3 visits to a fast-food restaurant per week) than other ethnic groups (average 2 visits per week).
By comparison with the average 15-year weight gain in participants with infrequent (less than once a week) fast-food restaurant use at baseline and follow-up (203 individuals), those with frequent (more than twice a week) visits to fast-food restaurants at baseline and follow-up (87 individuals) gained an extra 4·5 kg of bodyweight and had a 2-fold greater increase in insulin resistance.
Dr Ludwig comments: "fast-food habits have strong, positive, and independent associations with weight gain and insulin resistance in young black and white adults.
Fast-food consumption can be linked to adverse health outcomes through plausible mechanisms, and results from other studies lend support to our findings.
In an accompanying commentary (p 4), Arne Astrup (RVA University, Copenhagen, Denmark), concludes: "Fast-food restaurants may argue that the evidence that customers are being super-sized by their meals is too weak.
Recently, some major fast-food companies have taken positive steps by launching new healthier choices, such as porridge for breakfast, and fruit and vegetables for desert.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health author and award-winning journalist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has authored and published several downloadable personal preparedness courses including a downloadable course focused on safety and self defense. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In 2010, Adams launched TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a noted pioneer in the email marketing software industry, having been the first to launch an HTML email newsletter technology that has grown to become a standard in the industry. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Thursday, January 27, 2005
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