New Study Finds Eating Fast Foods Increases Your Risk for Diabetes

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 by: Mariam Antony
Tags: fast food, diabetes, health news

(NewsTarget) Researchers are finally confirming what ordinary men have known all along. Eating fast food regularly increases the risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. A recent study done by Julie R Palmer and her colleagues found that the consumption of restaurant foods significantly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes in African American women. Another study found that young adults who frequent fast food restaurants are more likely to become obese in later life.

About one-third of adults in the United States are obese, and the prevalence of fast food stores and regular consumption of fast food is considered as one of the major reasons for obesity. A single meal from a fast food centre sometimes contains enough calories needed for an entire day.

Julie R Palmer and her colleagues studied 44,072 participants between 30 and 69 years of age who were not diabetic at the initial stage. It was found that 2873 of them developed type 2 diabetes over a period of 10 years. The incidence of diabetes was greater among women who ate take-out food more than twice a week. Another important finding by the study was that eating fried chicken and hamburgers significantly increases the risk for diabetes. Women who ate ate fast food burgers or fried chicken were 40% to 70% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than others who never ate such food.

The study also found that the average body mass index (BMI) of women who ate burgers, fried chicken or Chinese food more than once a week was higher than women who never ate fast foods. They also gained more weight over ten years than the second group. Of the 2873 women who developed diabetes, blood sugar levels were higher in the women who consumed burgers and fried chicken than others who ate other types of fast foods.

However allowing for the increased Body Mass Index somewhat reduced the link between diabetes and fast food consumption, indicating that the higher weight gain from eating the calorie rich food may be the major reason for developing diabetes.

According to another study funded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), young adults who frequent fast-food restaurants gain more weight and have a greater increase in insulin resistance in early middle age. The study found that after 15 years, participants who ate fast food more than twice a week gained an extra 10 pounds and had a two-fold increase in insulin resistance compared to their counterparts.

Obesity and associated diseases is a cause of concern among scientists and politicians alike. Obesity greatly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, hyper tension and other lifestyle induced diseases. Research shows that more than 85 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

Sources:
1. http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/dec2004/nhlbi-30....
2. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/full...
3. http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/sh...

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