The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention characterizes the United States as an "obesogenic" society, meaning the environment generally promotes eating too much, consuming unhealthy food and getting too little physical activity. This predisposition is contributing to the nation's twin epidemics in obesity and diabetes. Fast food, obesity and diabetes are interwoven in this obesogenic landscape. Americans eat more fast food than ever before, and those foods are laced with excessive calories and fat, which packs on the body fat. Obesity subsequently drives the insulin resistance, which is often a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
Fast Food Consumption
The fast food industry reaped more than $183 billion in 2010, according to IBISWorld. Since the institutionalization of the fast-food format in the mid-20th century, Americans have steadily started consuming more of their main meals at these establishments. But in 1970, going to McDonald's was a treat. Only about $6 billion was spent on fast food back then. That near-3,000 percent increase in revenue has paralleled the increase in obesity rates in the United States, Rolling Stone reports.
Fast Food-Obesity Link
"Fast-food habits have strong, positive and independent associations with weight gain and insulin resistance in young black and white adults," obesity researcher and pediatric endocrinologist David Ludwig told BBC News. Ludwig's remarks were made after he and colleagues released a major study, which was published in the January 1, 2005 edition of "The Lancet." The study followed 3,031 people ages 18 to 30 over 15 years. The link was direct: the more people reported they ate at fast-food restaurants, the more they weighed.
Fast Food Overlaps With Other Factors
Other research has produced mixed results in linking fast food to obesity and diabetes. This is partly explained in some studies by the fact that people who tend to eat fast food also tend to eat more overall calories. They also get too little physical activity and thanks in part to modern technology, they lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles, Health Matrix Cleveland explains. For example, a study published in the "American Journal of Health Promotion" found that only 6 percent of state obesity rates could be explained by the number of fast-food restaurants. But when the authors added age, gender, population density, ethnicity, physical inactivity and fruit and vegetable intake, 70 percent of obesity rates were accounted for. University of Texas, San Antonio researchers also found that fast-food consumption played the biggest role in the higher grades of obesity, which are those with body mass indexes, or BMI, greater than 40. A BMI of 30 is considered obese.
Obesity--Diabetes Link
In addition to gaining more than 10 lbs., the participants in Ludwig's study also had double the amount of insulin resistance as people who ate fast food less frequently or not at all. Scientists have known for some time that obesity is one of the most important factors in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, 80 percent of diabetics are overweight. Excess weight can lead to a gradual decrease in insulin response. Insulin is a hormone that helps convert glucose from the foods you eat into your body's cells for fuel. Over time, people who are insulin resistant produce less insulin, and if left unchecked, this condition becomes type 2 diabetes. The consequence is that too much blood sugar is circulating in your bloodstream, where it can potentially cause damage to vital organs. In addition, researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies say that obese people who eat a high-fat diet activate a condition known as endoplasmic reticulum stress. Science Daily reports that this condition causes unusual glucose production by your liver, which ultimately sets the path toward insulin resistance.
Fast Food for Diabetics
The American Diabetes Association, recognizing the pervasiveness of fast food, challenges overweight diabetics to consider the calorie and blood sugar consequences of eating out at fast-food restaurants. The organization says the average fast-food meal can top 1,000 calories and raise your blood sugar above your target range. The key to eating fast food is becoming educated about the nutritional value of the foods you order. For example, choose grilled or baked options over fried. Substitute fruit or salad in place of french fries, and share your meal to avoid eating too much fat and calories.
References
- CDC: Obesity and Overweight
- IBISWorld: Fast Food Restaurants
- "The Lancet"; Fast-Food Habits, Weight Gain, and Insulin Resistance (The CARDIA Study): 15-Year Prospective Analysis; Mark A. Pereira, et al.; January 1, 2005
- "Health Matrix Cleveland"; The Link Between Fast Food and the Obesity Epidemic; Dustin Frazier; Spring 2007
- "The Fast Food and Obesity Link: An Investigation of Consumption Patterns and Severity of Obesity in Pre-Bariatric Surgery Patients"; Ginny Garcia, et al.; Paper Presented at Population Association of America 2011 Annual Meeting
- "American Journal of Health Promotion"; The Relationship Between Obesity and the Prevalence of Fast Food Restaurants: State-Level Analysis; J. Maddock; Nov.-Dec. 2004
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