According to a Harvard Medical School (HMS) study, American children eat restaurant-prepared fried food more frequently, leading to higher body mass index (BMI) and poor diet quality. The study was published in the month's issue of the Journal Pediatrics, which examines 14,0000 adolescents from all 50 states over a period of three years.
In the study, lead author Dr. Elsie M. Tavera, HMS instructor and director of a pediatric obesity-prevention program at Children's Hospital in Boston, and other researchers recorded the children's weight, height, physical activity, and the frequency with which they consumed restaurant-served fried foods. The study determined that the number of children who ate fast food between four and seven times per week more than doubled over the three-year period during which the study was conducted.
The HMS study found that children aged 9 to 14 who increased their fast food consumption gained weight faster than normal. Males who ate fried food away from home more than four times per week had a BMI of 19.3, while boys who did not eat fried food often had a BMI of 19.1. A BMI of 25 is considered clinically overweight, per The Harvard Crimson.
Fried foods are linked to serious health problems
Tavera said the difference in BMI between those who eat fast food frequently and those who do not may appear small. With poor eating habits, changes in BMI can accumulate over time. The study shows that if children consume large quantities of fried food away from home, they will continue to gain weight.
Participants who ate fried food away (FFA) from home reportedly consumed higher intakes of total energy, whole dairy foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, red and processed meats, and trans fat. They also had higher glycemic loads and less consumption of low-fat dairy foods, fruits, and vegetables.
The study also looked at the effects of fast food consumption on those having a quality diet, unlike previous studies that only documented the relationship between fast food and obesity.
The effects of fried foods are particularly alarming, considering that an insufficient, unbalanced diet may lead to heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
According to DayDay News, eating fried food is more harmful to children's health as it is coated with a layer of lipids that cannot be easily digested and absorbed. Children who eat too much fried food can have problems such as indigestion, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
Fried foods are often high in sodium and harmful saturated fats
Fried food has high-fat content, which can stay in the stomach for a long time and is not easy to digest and absorb. If the consumption is too much, it can result in stomach problems. The function of the gastrointestinal tract of children is not yet fully developed; thus, food fried at a high temperature can damage the gastric mucosa and cause gastritis after entering the stomach.
Oils and fats produce acrylic acid at high temperatures, which is difficult to digest. Eating too many fried foods can cause nausea, vomiting, or indigestion, resulting in children being unable to eat for several consecutive meals, leading to anorexia.
A healthy diet and meal support a child's healthy growth and development into adulthood and may even play a role in lowering the risk of suicide. If a child has already been diagnosed with a mental health problem, a healthy diet can help them to handle the symptoms and regain control of their health, per the Help Guide.
