Fast food has taken the blame for many juvenile obesity cases, but a recent study on Science Daily reveals that the real problem lies in children's already existing dietary habits.
Researchers analyzed data on 4,466 kids from two to 18 years old who participated in a previous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The children were classified according to their dietary habits: “non-consumers of fast food (50 percent of the children), low consumers (less than or equal to 30 percent of calories from fast food; 40 percent of the children), or high consumers (more than30 percent of calories from fast food; 10 percent of the children).”
The results showed that fast food consumption among the youth was only the tip of the iceberg. According to researchers, the real cause of obesity was the unhealthy diet the kids were brought up with, which usually consisted of very little fruits and vegetables and too much processed food and sweetened beverages.
“The study presented strong evidence that the children’s diet beyond fast food consumption is more strongly linked to poor nutrition and obesity,” says study co-author Jennifer Poti.
“While reducing fast food intake is important, the rest of a child’s diet should not be overlooked.”
(Photo by Bing via Flickr Creative Commons)
