RSS
Home
Is fast food making your kids fat?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
courtsey of Flickr user Fast Food Critic
Over 12 ½ million U.S. children are already overweight. It’s long been assumed that living near fast food restaurant contributes to childhood obesity. Recent research now questions that theory.
Researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) looked at data from over 60,000 school age children collected over 11 years. One area targeted in the study was the affect a new neighborhood fast food restaurant had on a child’s weight. By looking at weights over a period of years, researchers were able to identify trends. A fault of many previous studies is that they simply just looked at one ‘snapshot’ in time.
It was found that the addition of fast food restaurants to neighborhoods did not have a significant impact in children’s obesity rates. Restaurants located within one tenth of a mile from home were associated with slight elevations in obesity rates within certain high school ages.
Childhood obesity is considered a serious health concern in the United States. Rates have continued to rise for over 30 years to alarming levels. The CDC (Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention) reports that over 2/3 of obese children already have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease (high cholesterol, high blood pressure or abnormal glucose tolerance). This is in addition to the many other physical and social concerns of obesity.
Policies which would restrict fast food establishments from building in close proximity to schools may well be indicated according to researchers. Since many teens are able to leave school for lunch and that fast food meals can be inexpensive, this may force healthier choices by teens.
Obesity prevention needs to start early and needs to begin at home. By a certain age, children have disposable income and the freedom to make food choices on their own. Without a good foundation, sweet, salty, fatty and fried could be their food groups of choice.
What can parents do? Teach by example in what you serve at home. There’s no special secret and healthy foods don’t have to be more expensive. Use canned, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains and lean meats. Keep portions reasonable and cut back (or cut out) sweetened drinks. Teach your kids to enjoy a cool glass of water. Lastly, keep sugar and fat consumption to a minimum by keeping tempting foods out of the house. You can also get kids involved in making the house healthier and let them choose recipes and snacks for the week.
Do this for your kids, and you may find that you end up losing a few pounds and feeling healthier too!
Related Articles:
Comments
