Fast food consumption among adolescents

Over the past few decades, the consumption of fast food in adolescents has increased significantly and has become a growing public health concern. Busy lifestyle, easy availability and attractive marketing coupled with affordability make fast food popular among the youth. The term ‘ultra-processed foods’ refers to products made from industrial ingredients or substances which typical consumers do not use in a home kitchen. Eating fast food often may lead to the absence of healthy option food from the diet, leading to poor nutrition and unhealthy eating behaviours continuing into adulthood (1,2). 

Eating fast food frequently increases risk of overweight and obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus in adolescents. Poor dietary practices may also jeopardize the adolescent’s future, being a contributory factor to non-communicable diseases globally(1). Supportive nutrition education, positive parental authority, school-based interventions and improving access to food can have a significant impact on children’s fast food consumption (2,3)

References: 

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Healthy eating for children and adolescents. //www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/healthy-eating/index.html
2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2019). Ultra-processed foods, diet quality, and health: Using the NOVA classification system. FAO. //www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/ca5644en.pdf
3. World Health Organization. (2024). Healthy diet. //www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet