Does fast food cause obesity? No, fast food does not cause obesity, but it is a part of the obesity problem in America and the rest of the world. It is ultimately up to the person how much fast food they eat per day or if at all. Studies show that people are eating too much fast food and these foods have a lot of calories, fat and sodium, and additives.
Obesity Is On the Rise
In 1960, adult obesity in the US was at 13.6%. In 2006, the number of obese was at 34%. In May 2009, the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) reported that 32% of American children were defined as being overweight, 16% were obese and 11% were extremely obese.
The average American consumed 500 more calories per day in 2000 than in 1970. A pound is 3,500 calories. This is an extra pound per week the average American is eating.
Another study conducted between 1994 and 1996, found that the kids who ate the most fast food also ate more calories, more total fat, more total bad carbohydrates, more added sugars, more soda pop, fewer fruits and vegetables, and less fiber.
The study's finding was that the consumption of fast food by children has an adverse effect on dietary quality in ways that could increase the risk of obesity [PubMed].
The average American over the age of two increased their fast food consumption from 9.6% in 1970 to 23.5% in 1996. People are now using fast food restaurants not only for dinner but also breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
I remember as a kid in the early 1970s, eating at McDonald's was something of a treat, something not done even once a month let alone every day.
Gaining weight is simply taking in more calories than the number of calories your body uses up. Over time this leads to gaining weight to the point of obesity as defined by your BMI (body mass index). Currently, a BMI of 25 or greater defines being overweight.
And a BMI of 30 or over defines obesity. Obesity doesn’t happen overnight, it adds up slowly. Losing weight cannot happen overnight either; it takes effort and time to lose weight.
The average American consumed 500 more calories per day in 2000 than in 1970. A pound is 3,500 calories. This is an extra pound per week the average American is eating.
Another study conducted between 1994 and 1996, found that the kids who ate the most fast food also ate more calories, more total fat, more total bad carbohydrates, more added sugars, more soda pop, fewer fruits and vegetables, and less fiber.
The study's finding was that the consumption of fast food by children has an adverse effect on dietary quality in ways that could increase the risk of obesity [PubMed].
A study by the University of California found that ninth graders are at least 5.2% more likely to be obese if a fast food restaurant is within one-tenth of a mile from their school [UC Berkeley].
Another study with 6,200 children found that 30% of the children eat at a fast food restaurant on any given day. On the days they ate at a fast food restaurant, they consumed an additional 187 calories. This equates to 6 extra pounds per year [PubMed].
I remember as a kid in the early 1970s, eating at McDonald's was something of a treat, something not done even once a month let alone every day.
Gaining weight is simply taking in more calories than the number of calories your body uses up. Over time this leads to gaining weight to the point of obesity as defined by your BMI (body mass index). Currently, a BMI of 25 or greater defines being overweight.
And a BMI of 30 or over defines obesity. Obesity doesn’t happen overnight, it adds up slowly. Losing weight cannot happen overnight either; it takes effort and time to lose weight.
Calories Add Up
A common meal from McDonald's could be a quarter-pounder with cheese, large fries, and a large (32 oz.) coke. This meal would add up to 1450 calories with 59 grams of fat, 90 mg of cholesterol, 201 grams of carbs and 95 grams of sugar, mostly from the coke [ShapeFit].
It's not just hamburgers and pizza's, there are all kinds of fast foods with a lot of calories, fat and refined carbs. Refined carbs are also a contributing factor to the obesity problem.
Obesity and bad eating habits are starting at an early age, and these habits are continuing through adult life. And it isn’t only obesity that is on the rise. Clogged arteries, fatty liver disease, and type II diabetes are now showing up in adolescents.
Fast Food and Bad Fats
The calories in these foods are bad enough when you consider that most people shouldn’t be eating more than 2,000 calories per day.
Children eating this way are already on the road to obesity and heart disease at a very early age. It’s these bad types of saturated fat that affect the cholesterol in your blood. High fructose corn syrup and palm oil are now thought to be a contributor to the obesity problem.
Soda Pop and Obesity
Soft drinks might be even worse for obesity than fast foods. A recent study showed that 16.1% of five-year-old girls who drank one serving (8 ounces) or less per day were overweight.
At age nine, 24.2% were overweight. Of those who drank two or more servings per day at age five, 38.5% were overweight and 53.9% were overweight at age 11. For each serving of a soda pop consumed, the risk of obesity increased by 1.6 times [AJCN].
Calorie Density and Obesity
There is something nutrient density foods and calorie density foods. This is the amount of nutrients for a given food per calories. Energy is calories, and fast food is very energy dense or calorie dense. Meaning fast food has more calories and fewer nutrients for the volume or amount of food.
A small amount of fast food has a lot of calories for what you are really eating. Nutrient-dense would be food with a lot of nutrients for a fewer number of calories, which would be fruits, vegetables, and foods with a lot of fiber.
It's Not Only Calories that Cause Obesity
Of course excess calories matter, but the quality of the food also matters. Fast food is not know to have the healthiest ingredients, which is how they keep their food so cheap. The hamburger probably contains what is called pink slime, not the healthiest cuts of meat to say the least.
Along with cheap ingredients, fast foods are very low in fiber which can cause bad bacteria in the gut to flourish. This then creates a bad environment for the good gut bacteria. This can cause obesity and diseases to develop.
Unless the fast food is mainly organic, they can have all types of chemicals and food additives that are known as obesogens, which can wreak havoc on our bodies and also cause obesity.
Conclusion
Fast food is but one contributor to the rising rate of obesity. But it still comes down to making healthy choices and learning how to say no to unhealthy food. Kids aren’t going to make the healthy choice usually, and the fast foods are all around them, including right in their own school.
About the Author
Sam Montana is a certified Food Over Medicine instructor from the Wellness Forum Health Center and certified in optimal nutrition from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
© 2009-2019 Sam Montana
