Thirty-four percent of adults over age 20 were obese in 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an additional 34 percent were overweight. Although numerous factors may contribute to obesity, including genetic, emotional, environmental and economic factors, your overall dietary habits, including whether you frequently eat fast food, may also contribute. Learning more regarding the potential link between obesity and fast food consumption may help guide you toward making wise dietary decisions.
Theories
Fast food intake has increased along with the rise in obesity in the United States, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, and researchers and professionals suspect a significant link. Many popular fast food menu items contain rich amounts of calories, added sugars, unhealthy fat and cholesterol and provide little fiber or nutrients compared to whole foods. If these foods are staples in your diet, your risk for weight gain, obesity and obesity-related health problems, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, is increased. Fast food items are often easy to overeat, come in over-sized portions and have a high-glycemic index, or level of impact on your blood sugar. An overall high-glycemic diet may lead to poor appetite control between meals, further increasing your obesity risk.
Research
The link between fast food and obesity is difficult to prove, in part because people who routinely eat fast food hold other behavioral risk factors as well, such as inactivity. A study published in "Pediatrics" in January 2004 analyzed the dietary habits and energy intake of 6,212 children and adolescents in the United States. On a typical day, 30.3 percent of the children reported consuming fast food. Researchers found that these children consumed more calories per gram of food, more total fat, carbohydrates and added sugars, less fiber and fewer fruits and fresh vegetables than children who did not eat fast food. Although these findings do not prove a causal relationship between fast food and obesity, they do indicate a potential correlation.
Prevention
One way to prevent fast food from contributing to excessive weight gain and related risks is to simply choose other foods. Eating fast food on occasion, even a high-calorie, high-fat meal, is unlikely to cause problems if your remaining diet and lifestyle are healthy. MayoClinic.com recommends emphasizing nutritious foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and limiting your consumption of sugary sweets and unhealthy fat sources, such as butter, fried foods and fatty meats. Exercising regularly and avoiding situations that tend to trigger overeating and poor food choices can also help.
Healthy Menu Options
Numerous fast food restaurants offer nutritious alternatives to conventional cheeseburgers, fries and soft drinks. To keep your caloric intake down, MayoClinic.com recommends choosing the smallest available sandwich; a small burger, for example, contains less fat and calories than a quarter-pound cheeseburger. When possible, order a vegetable salad, fresh fruit or a plain baked potato instead of french fries. Replacing mayonnaise, cheese and creamy salad dressing with mustard, pickles, tomatoes and light Italian dressing can reduce the calorie content of sandwiches and salads. Low-calorie beverage options include water, diet soft drinks and unsweetened coffee or iced tea.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Obesity and Overweight
- National Bureau of Economic Research: Do Fast Food Restaurants Contribute to Obesity?
- Linus Pauling Institute: Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
- "Pediatrics"; Effects of Fast-Food Consumption on Energy Intake and Diet Quality Among Children in a National Household Survey; Shanthy A. Bowman, et al.; January 2004
- MayoClinic.com: Obesity Prevention
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