Fast food is linked to childhood obesity, with weekly consumption leading to weight gain and a higher body mass index. Fast food lacks nutrients and can make people feel hungrier, leading to overeating. Parents should limit portion sizes, avoid soda, and offer healthy alternatives.
The health impacts when children eat fast food have been carefully studied as Americans become more diet conscious and obesity rates among American children in particular have increased. Many fast food restaurants are trying to promote faster fast food alternatives – apples instead of french fries, milk or juice instead of soda – in order to get customers in. However, the main contents of most fast food, such as hamburgers or chicken nuggets, are still foods high in fat and salt. Parents are concerned about the overmarketing of children, especially when the payment is for a toy of some sort.
Childhood obesity is linked to the consumption of fast food. Studies have shown that, when kids eat fast food once a week, they gain about 6 pounds (2.72 kg) more per year than their peers who don’t eat fast food. Those who in it several times a week were much more likely to have a higher body mass index. As children age, the negative effects of fast food increase. A ten-year-old is more affected by the weekly consumption of quick meals than a seven-year-old. Even when the kids were active, if they ate fast food on a weekly basis, they weighed even more.
Another disadvantage of children eating fast food is the fact that most of the items in a fast food diet don’t promote a feeling of fullness. This is because most foods contain refined starch. This leads to higher insulin levels and can make people actually feel hungrier rather than full. Conversely, whole grains, green vegetables, and fruits generally make people feel fuller. When children eat fast food, therefore, they are more likely to consume more than they would a home-cooked meal that included “healthy foods.”
There is little evidence that if children eat fast food on a very limited basis they will have any dietary or weight problems. Limited could mean once every few months. The big problem is that most kids eat it more than once a week.
Studies suggest that fast food should only be eaten occasionally, rather than being part of a child’s usual menu. When deciding to use fast food, consider the following tips:
Avoid the empty calories of soda and allow the kids milk or water.
Carry some nutritional foods like carrot sticks or apples with you before eating fast food to avoid overeating.
Limit portion sizes by ordering only children’s meals.
Skip the fries and opt for other sides like apples or baked potatoes.
If your kids eat fast food on a regular basis, consider cutting them out by offering low-fat, fast food alternatives. You can make homemade oven fries with just a little oil, for example, and load burgers on wheat buns with lots of spicy and healthy nutritious foods, like lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions.
Try your own baked chicken nugget recipes with skinless whole white chicken dipped in milk and rolled in breadcrumbs. Also provide salads or fruits or vegetables with each meal. Also, if your kids love fast food toys, buy some cheap toys and pack your own meal with cool kids toys.
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