February 16, 2005 – A study scientifically confirms the general hypothesis of the documentary Super Size Me to the effect that eating junk food regularly would make you fat and make you sick. According to the results of this epidemiological research1, go to a restaurant fast food more than twice a week, for 15 years, results in an average overweight of 4.5 kilos (10 lbs).
This is arguably less than the 11 kilos (22.2 lbs) accumulated by Morgan Spurlock, the director of the documentary. But he had pushed the audacity by eating three meals a day in a restaurant of the McDonald’s chain, and this, for a full month.
The reality would be more like what the American CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) prospective study revealed, carried out among 3,031 participants. During repeated follow-ups since 1985, subjects underwent medical examinations and answered questionnaires relating to their lifestyle and eating habits.
Fifteen years later, participants who frequented fast food chains more than twice a week had accumulated an average of 4.5 kg (10 lbs) more than those who ate there less than once a week. In addition, the researchers observed that individuals fond of “junk food” had twice the insulin resistance than occasional consumers.
These results remained significant after taking into consideration the subjects’ lifestyle habits, such as physical exercise and the number of hours spent watching television.
Meals served in fast food services, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and chicken nuggets, are usually saturated with fat, sugars and salt. This is a dietary profile causing excessive accumulation of body fat, the study authors say. According to them, people consuming this type of food regularly could, in the long term, significantly increase their risk of suffering from obesity and type II diabetes.
Marie france Coutu – PasseportSanté.net
1. Pereira MA, Kartashov AI et al. Fast-food habits, weight gain, and insulin resistance (the CARDIA study): 15-year prospective analysis, Lancet, 1er January 2005, Vol. 365, No 9453, 36-42.
