15-year study shows strong link between fast food, obesity and insulin resistance

[Guest guest]

Colleagues, the following is FYI and does not necessarily reflect my own

opinion. I have no further knowledge of the topic.

------------------------

Public release date: 30-Dec-2004

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-12/uom-1ss123004.php

Contact: Jonell Rusinko

jrusinko@...

University of Minnesota

15-year study shows strong link between fast food, obesity and insulin

resistance

Researchers have shown a correlation between fast food, weight gain, and

insulin resistance in what appears to be the first long-term study on

this subject. The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults

(CARDIA) study by Mark Pereira, Ph.D., assistant professor in

epidemiology, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and

Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Obesity Program at Children's

Hospital Boston, reported that fast food increases the risk of obesity

and type 2 diabetes. The results of this 15-year study will be published

in the Jan. 1 issue of The Lancet.

Participants who consumed fast food two or more times a week gained

approximately 10 more pounds and had twice as great increase in insulin

resistance in the 15-year period than participants who consumed fast

food less than once per week.

" Fast-food consumption has increased in the United States during the

past three decades, " said Pereira. " While there have been many

discussions about fast-food's effects on obesity, this appears to be the

first scientific, comprehensive long-term study to show a strong

connection between fast-food consumption, obesity, and risk for type 2

diabetes. "

" The CARDIA study factored in and monitored lifestyle factors including

television viewing, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking,

but determined that increase in body weight and insulin resistance from

fast-food intake seemed to be largely independent of these other

lifestyle factors, " said Ludwig.

Fast-food frequency was lowest for white women (about 1.3 times per

week) compared with the other ethnic and gender groups (about twice a

week). Frequency was higher in African-Americans than in whites and in

men than in women for every examination year. Age- adjusted fast-food

frequency was relatively stable over time among African-Americans but

fell in those who were white.

This study of cardiovascular disease risk factor evolution included

3,031 young (age 18-30 years in 1985) African-American and white adults

whose frequency of fast-food visits, changes in body weight and insulin

resistance were monitored and measured for 15 years. This was a

multi-center, population-based study with study centers in Birmingham,

Ala., Chicago, Ill., Minneapolis, Minn., and Oakland, Calif.

--

ne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar@... >

" Ask the Parkinson Dietitian " http://www.parkinson.org/

" Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease "

" Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy "

http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/