In the era of super-sizing, it's not uncommon for teens to "gorge" on fast food, eat large amounts at a rapid rate, and gain weight as a result. But a new study shows that no matter how quickly teens ate fast food or how big their portions, they still consumed the same amount of calories — way more than they needed.
Researchers at the Children's Hospital Boston put the same meal in front of 18 different teens, ages 13 to 17, who said that they ate fast food more than once a week. All of the teens had body mass index (BMI) measurements that exceeded the eightieth percentile, meaning that they were at risk for being overweight. (BMI is a calculation that uses height and weight to estimate body fat.)
For the study, each teen was fed the same amount of French fries, chicken nuggets, and soda on three different occasions in three different ways:
- a single serving at one time
- four small servings at one time
- four small servings given 15 minutes apart
All of the teens consumed excess calories — about 50% of their daily calorie needs, regardless of how the food was presented or how fast they ate it.
Previous studies have found that large portion sizes may distort people's visual cues and make them less aware of how much they've consumed.
But this study suggests that it's not how big the portions are or how fast the meal is consumed that piles on the calories — it's the poor nutritional quality of most fast food, including low dietary fiber and high fat, starch, and added sugar. And chemicals are often added to fast foods to make them taste better — that only makes eating it easier, the study says.
Researchers noted that taking extra-large meals out of the fast-food equation couldn't hurt, but say fast-food restaurants need to make their offerings much more nutritious in order to make any real impact on the obesity epidemic.
What This Means to You
If your family is going to eat fast food, go with smaller portions rather than larger ones. "Super-sizing" meals can add up to 25% more fat and calories.
To help make drive-thru dining a little healthier for your household, consider ordering:
- grilled — not fried — chicken
- single burgers instead of double or triple
- sandwiches on whole-wheat bread, if available
- mustard instead of mayonnaise on sandwiches and burgers
- alternatives to fries — veggies, yogurt, plain baked potato with just a little sour cream, or a regular salad with light dressing
- low-fat milk or water instead of soda or juice
- fruit instead of sugary desserts
There will be occasions when the fast-food route is the only practical option for a meal. And every once in a while, that's OK. What's most important is the nutritional content — and amount of calories — over a period of a few days. So, if your family eats a meal consisting of only fast food, try to balance it with healthier foods the rest of that day and the next few days.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: May 2007
Source: Cara B. Ebbeling, PhD; Erica Garcia-Lago, BA; Michael M. Leidig, RD; Linda G. Seger-Shippee, DT; Henry A. Feldman, PhD; David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD. Pediatrics, May 2007.
