Fast
Food Linked Again With Obesity Epidemic
Some Teens Can't
Resist Overeating
Teens are more
likely to overeat when served fast food, according to a study
in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
But, lean adolescents
tend to compensate for over-consumption by eating less at other
meals, whereas individuals who are overweight do not cut back,
the study says. 
"Consumption of fast
food has increased rapidly since the 1970s among adolescents
from all socioeconomic and racial and ethnic groups across the
United States," the study authors write.
"An estimated 75 percent
of adolescents eat fast food one or more times per week," says
Dr. Cara B. Ebbeling, a nutrition expert from Children's
Hospital in Boston.
Excessive
Eating Adds Up
The increase in fast
food consumption parallels the escalating obesity epidemic,
the authors suggest.
"Characteristics of
fast food previously linked to excess energy intake [overeating]
or adiposity [fat] include enormous portion size, high energy
density, palatability, excessive amounts of refined starch and
added sugars, high fat content, and low levels of dietary fiber,"
Dr. Ebbeling says.
Dr. Ebbeling and her
colleagues conducted two studies to evaluate the effects of
fast food on energy intake in overweight versus lean adolescents.
Fifty-four adolescents
ages 13 to 17 years who reported eating fast food at least one
time per week were enrolled in the studies (26 overweight, 28
lean).
Fifty-one (24 overweight,
27 lean) of the 54 participants enrolled in the first study also
completed the second study.
In this investigation,
the researchers grouped adolescents who were overweight and
at risk of overweight into one group and adolescents considered
lean into another group. Lean was defined as a BMI [body mass
index = weight in kilograms divided by the square of height
in meters] not exceeding the 85th percentiles for their ages.
In study one, participants
were fed extra large fast food meals in a food court and instructed
to eat as much or as little as desired during the one-hour meal.
In study two, the
researchers assessed how much food was eaten under free-living
conditions for two days when fast food was consumed and two
days when it was not consumed. The participants recalled dietary
and physical activity on telephone interviews.
In study one, average
energy intake from the fast food meal among all participants
was extremely large (1,652 calories), accounting for 61.6 percent
of estimated daily energy requirements.
"Overweight participants
ate more than lean participants whether energy was expressed
in absolute terms (1,860 calories vs. 1,458 calories) or
relative to estimated daily energy requirements (66.5 percent
vs. 57 percent), the authors report.
In study two, overweight
participants consumed significantly more total energy on fast
food days than non-fast food days (2,703 calories per
day vs. 2,295 calories per day; plus 409 calories
per day), an effect that was not observed among lean participants
(2,575 calories per day vs. 2,622 calories per
day; less 47 calories per day).
The researchers also
found that overweight participants tended to under-report total
energy intake compared with lean participants.
Regulating
Fast Food Consumption Varies
"The overweight participants
consumed more total energy on days with and without fast
food, in contrast to the lean participants, who consumed virtually
the same amount on both days," Dr. Ebbeling reports.
"This observation
suggests that overweight individuals do not compensate completely
for the massive portion sizes characteristic of fast food today,"
the authors note.
The authors say these
findings suggest that, at least, fast food consumption serves
to maintain or exacerbate obesity in susceptible individuals.
"In this study, adolescents
over-consumed fast food regardless of body weight, although
this phenomenon was especially pronounced in overweight participants,"
says Dr. Ebbeling.
"Moreover, overweight
adolescents were less likely to compensate for the energy in
fast food, by adjusting energy intake throughout the day, than
their lean counterparts," the authors conclude.
Always consult your
child's physician for more information.
Overweight
and Obesity Estimates Updated
The high levels of
overweight among children and obesity among adults remain a
major public health concern, according to a report in the Journal
of the American Medical Association.
"The prevalence of
overweight and obesity is considered an important public health
issue in the United States," the authors say. "Healthy People
2010 identified overweight and obesity as one of the 10 leading
health indicators."
Dr. Allison A. Hedley,
a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
health expert, and colleagues updated the US prevalence estimates
of overweight in children and obesity in adults using the most
recent national data of height and weight measurements.
The researchers analyzed
data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES). Both height and weight measurements
were obtained from 4,115 adults and 4,018 children in 1999 to
2000 and from 4,390 adults and 4,258 children in 2001 to 2002.
"For adults, overweight,
obesity, and extreme obesity, were defined as body mass index
(BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square
of height in meters) of 25.0 to 29.9, 30.0 or more, and 40.0
or more, respectively," Dr. Hedley says.
For children, "at
risk for overweight was defined as at or above the 85th percentile
but less than the 95th percentile of the sex-specific BMI for
age," as defined by the CDC growth charts.
"Overweight was defined
as at or above the 95th percentile of the sex-specific BMI-for-age
growth chart," the authors say.
The authors' findings
point to no actual improvement in the overweight and obesity
rates in the US.
Overall, among adults
aged at least 20 years in 1999 to 2002, 65.1 percent were
overweight or obese, 30.4 percent were obese, and 4.9 percent
were extremely obese.
Among children ages six
through 19 years in 1999 to 2002, 31 percent were at risk
for overweight or obesity and 16 percent were overweight.
Always consult your
child's physician for more information. |
August 2004
Fast
Food Linked Again With Obesity Epidemic
Excessive
Eating Adds Up
Regulating
Fast Food Consumption Varies
Overweight
and Obesity Estimates Updated
Obesity
Prevention Facts
Online
Resources
Obesity
Prevention Facts
Obesity is a chronic
disease affecting increasing numbers of children and adolescents
as well as adults.
Obesity rates among
children in the US have doubled since 1980 and have tripled
for adolescents. Fifteen percent of children aged six to 19
are considered overweight compared to over 60 percent of adults
who are considered overweight or obese.
Earlier onset of type
2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity-related depression
in children and adolescents is being seen by healthcare professionals.
The longer a person
is obese, the more significant obesity-related risk factors
become. Given the chronic diseases and conditions associated
with obesity and the fact that obesity is difficult to treat,
prevention is extremely important.
A primary reason that
prevention of obesity is so vital in children is because the
likelihood of childhood obesity persisting into adulthood is
thought to increase from about 20 percent at four years of age
to 80 percent by adolescence.
Breastfed babies are
15 percent to 25 percent less likely to become overweight, and
those who are breastfed for six months or longer are 20 percent
to 40 percent less likely to become overweight. Therefore, the
longer babies are breastfed, the less likely they are to become
overweight as they grow older.
Children and adolescents generally
become overweight or obese because they do not get enough physical
activity in combination with poor eating habits. Genetics and
lifestyle also contribute to a child’s weight status.
Parents can help their
children prevent overweight and obesity.
Gradually work to
change family eating habits and activity levels rather than
focusing on a child’s weight.
Parents who eat healthy
foods and participate in physical activity set an example so
that a child is more likely to do the same.
Children should have
60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week.
More than 60 minutes of activity may promote weight loss and
subsequent maintenance.
Reduce “screen”
time in front of the television and computer to less than two
hours daily.
Encourage children
to eat when hungry and to eat slowly.
Avoid using food as
a reward or withholding food as a punishment.
Keep the refrigerator
stocked with fat-free or low-fat milk, fresh fruit, and vegetables
instead of soft drinks and snacks high in sugar and fat.
Serve at least five
servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
Encourage children
to drink water rather than beverages with added sugar, such
as soft drinks, sports drinks, and fruit juice drinks.
Always consult your
child's physician for more information.
Online
Resources
(Our Organization
is not responsible for the content of Internet sites.)
American
Academy of Pediatrics
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 5 A Day
National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
National
Institute of Child Health & Human Development
National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
US
Food and Drug Administration |
