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Saturday, 1st January 2005
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Excess weight is an independent risk factor for coronary disease, in
addition to its contribution to the incidence of diabetes, hyperlipidemia,
& hypertension. |
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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 David 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.
References
Mark A Pereira, Alex I Kartashov, Cara B Ebbeling, Linda Van Horn,
Martha L Slattery, David R Jacobs Jr, David S Ludwig. Fast-food habits,
weight gain, and insulin resistance (the CARDIA study): 15-year
prospective analysis. Lancet 2005; 365: 36-42.
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