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Is Fast Food Fat Food?

January 24, 2023 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Fat Metabolism Simplified

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

If you are like most Americans, you have vowed to lose weight and/or gain health in 2023. But how do you do that? There are hundreds of diets to choose from. And each diet has its “story” – a mixture of pseudo-science and testimonials – designed to convince you to try it.

Forget the pseudo-science. Forget the testimonials. Instead, focus on the one thing these diets have in common. They are all whole food diets. They all eliminate sodas, fast foods, and highly processed convenience foods.

In fact, that may be the simplest thing you can do to lose weight and become healthier. Many experts say that any time you eliminate sodas, fast foods, and convenience foods you will lose weight. If that statement is true, it could explain the American obesity epidemic. Between 1977 and 2017, a span of just 40 years, fast food consumption:

Increased from 6% to 35% (a 6-fold increase) in the 40-65 age group, and…

11% to 46% (a 4-fold increase) in the 12-39 age group.

But is it true? There are certainly reasons to think it might be:

Fast foods are high in fat, sugar, and calories and are low in fiber – all of which are associated with obesity.

Big Food Inc has researched the ideal combination of taste, mouth feel, and effect on blood sugar to create an addiction to fast food.

However, the studies linking fast food consumption to obesity have been flawed.

People who consume fast foods tend to exercise less and have a poorer diet, even when they are eating at home. Previous studies have not distinguished between fast food consumption and other things (diet, exercise, lifestyle) that are also linked to obesity.

Previous studies have often only assessed diet and other lifestyle factors at the beginning or end of the study. There is no way of knowing whether these values are typical for the entire timespan of the study.

Previous studies have only shown associations, not cause and effect.

The current study (AO Odegaard et al, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 116: 255-262, 2022) was designed to eliminate many of the flaws in previous studies.

Fat Metabolism Simplified

You have probably heard that belly fat increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and some cancers. This study looked at the effect of fast foods on belly fat, muscle fat, and fatty liver (liver fat).

However, belly fat is both simple and complicated:

It is simple in that it is easy to see. We talk about it as an “apple shape” and we measure it in waste circumference.

It is complicated because, anatomically, there are several subtypes of belly fat, and these authors chose to examine the effect of fast foods on each subtype.

However, the effect of fast foods on each subtype of belly fat, and the metabolic effects of each subtype, are similar. So, in the interest of simplicity, I will combine the subtypes and simply refer to the effect of fast foods on belly fat.

With that in mind, here is all you need to know about biology and metabolism of fat.

In addition to fat accumulation in the abdomen (belly fat), this study also looked fat accumulation in muscle (which I will refer to as muscle fat) and liver (which I will refer to as liver fat).

All three types of fat contribute to metabolic syndrome (prediabetes) characterized by:

Insulin resistance, which leads to an elevation of both glucose and insulin.
High LDL (bad cholesterol) and low HDL (good cholesterol).
High triglycerides.
High blood pressure.
Inflammation

These metabolic effects increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, inflammatory diseases, and some cancers.

In addition, liver fat can lead to non-alcoholic liver disease, fibrosis of the liver, and cirrhosis of the liver.

How Was This Study Done?

This study recruited 5115 participants from the Coronary Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. This study recruited young adults (average age of 25) in 1985-1986 and followed them for 25 years. The participants were 57% female and 53% white.

As stated above, this study looked at the effect of fast foods on belly fat, muscle fat, and fatty liver (liver fat).

This study had numerous strengths:

Unlike many other studies, variables like diet, fast food intake, and lifestyle were measured at multiple times during the study.

- All participants entered treatment centers for physical exams, bloodwork, and lifestyle questionnaires at entry into the study (year 0) and again at years 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, and 25.

- On years 0, 7, 10, 15, 20, and 25 the questionnaires included the question, “How many times in a week or month do you eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner out in a place such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Pizza Hut, or Kentucky Fried Chicken?” This question was used to calculate the number of times per week that participants ate fast food meals.

- On years 0, 7, and 10 the quality of the non-fast-food portion of their diet was assessed by asking the participants to complete a comprehensive questionnaire about their typical intake of foods over the past month.

- - Diet quality was calculated using something called an alternative Mediterranean diet score because this calculation excludes foods commonly consumed at fast food restaurants. Thus, this calculation specifically measures the quality of the non-fast-food portion of their diet.

- Each of these variables was averaged over the entire timespan of the study and trends (either an increase or decrease over time) were noted.

- The outcomes of the study (belly fat, muscle fat, and liver fat) were measured at the end of the study (year 25) using CT imaging techniques.

2) The authors identified other factors that may have caused fat accumulation and corrected for them. For example:

- Participants with the highest fast food consumption had lower educational level, lower income, poorer non-fast-food diet quality, lower physical activity, lower alcohol intake, higher caloric intake, and were more likely to be male and black.

- Consequently, the data comparing fast food intake with fat accumulation were corrected for age, sex, race, education, income, smoking, alcohol, diet quality, caloric intake, and physical activity.

Is Fast Food Fat Food?

Fast food intake was equally divided into quintiles ranging from “Never to once a month” to “≥ 3 times per week”. When participants with the highest fast food intake over the past 25 years were compared to those with the lowest:

Their belly fat was higher by 48%.

Their muscle fat was higher by 27%

Their liver fat was 5-fold higher.

Their waist circumference (another measure of belly fat) was 11% (4 inches) more.

Their BMI (a measure of obesity) was 15% higher.

The authors concluded, “The results of this analysis robustly demonstrate that middle-aged adults who ate fast food more frequently over the past 25 years have significantly higher odds of MAFLD [fatty liver disease] and IAAT [belly fat]…aligned with poorer current and future cardiometabolic health [heart disease and diabetes] and chronic disease risk.”

What Does This Study Mean For You?

Several previous studies have shown that fast food consumption leads to fat accumulation and/or obesity. However, this is perhaps the best designed study on the effect of fast foods on fat accumulation and obesity to date. This is because:

It measured fast food consumption, non-fast-food diet quality, exercise, and many other lifestyle factors at multiple times during the 25-year study. That way we can be assured we are looking at fast food consumption and other lifestyle choices over the entire 25-year timespan of the study, not just at the beginning or end of the study.

The authors corrected the data for other lifestyle factors known to influence fat accumulation and obesity. Statistical corrections are never perfect, but these authors did their best to make sure the study only measured the effects of fast food consumption on fat accumulation.

Of course, this kind of study shows associations. It does not prove cause and effect. However, since 25-year double blind, placebo-controlled studies are not possible, this is perhaps the best study we may ever have.

That brings me back to your New Year resolutions. If you are like most Americans, you have probably resolved to lose weight and get healthier in past years – only to end the year fatter and less healthy than you started it.

You have probably tried dozens of diets. They worked for a while, but they were difficult to follow long term, and eventually you abandoned them.

My suggestion this year is to forget the crazy diets. Just go for a simple change. Eliminate sodas, fast foods, and convenience foods from your diet. You will lose weight. And you will be healthier. Guaranteed.

Of course, it’s not that simple. Remember that Big Food Inc has designed these foods to be addictive. Unless you have an iron will, you probably won’t be able to go cold turkey.

You may need a gradual approach. Replace sodas, fast and convenience foods one at a time. Find healthier substitutes for each fast food you replace. Then explore more convenient ways to eat healthy. It will be a journey. But the end results will be worth it.

The Bottom Line

Many studies have implicated sodas, fast and convenience foods in obesity and fat accumulation in our bodies. But these studies have all had their flaws.

A recent study looked at the association between fast food intake and 3 kinds of fat (belly fat, muscle fat, liver fat) over 25 years. All 3 kinds of fat are highly associated with metabolic syndrome (prediabetes) and several chronic diseases. More importantly, this study was designed to eliminate many of the flaws in previous studies.

When participants with the highest fast food intake over the past 25 years were compared to those with the lowest:

Their belly fat was higher by 48%.

Their muscle fat was higher by 27%.

Their liver fat was 5-fold higher.

Their waist circumference (another measure of belly fat) was 11% (4 inches) more.

Their BMI (a measure of obesity) was 15% higher.

Simply put, the best thing you can do for your weight and your health this year is to eliminate sodas, fast foods, and convenience foods from your diet. You will lose weight. And you will be healthier. Guaranteed.

For more details on this study, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

How Did Our Bodies Get So Contaminated?

March 1, 2022 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Would You Like Phthalates With Your Burgers?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

Every once in a while, a scientific study grabs the headlines and causes a paradigm shift in our thinking. One such study, published in 2016, showed that babies’ umbilical cords contained over 200 toxic chemicals.

That study created instant headlines. It grabbed our attention. People were asking, “How did our bodies get so contaminated?”

Sure, there were clues. There were many studies showing that individual toxic chemicals in our environment were making their way into our bodies. But no one anticipated the full scope of the problem. Nobody anticipated that our bodies had become toxic waste dumps.

And the very thought that newborn babies were starting their lives with so many toxic chemicals in their bodies was frightening. No one knows what the long-term health consequences will be.

What Are Phthalates And Why Should You Care?

Phthalates are a class of compounds that are widely used in the manufacture of household products we use every day. For example, in shampoos and hair gels they increase spreadability, enhance absorption, and help make fragrances last longer. In hairsprays they make the hair softer and more flexible. And from shampoos, hair gels, and hairsprays they can be absorbed into our bodies through our scalp.

They are also used as “plasticizers” to make certain plastics more flexible and more durable. This is an issue because phthalates are added to some food packaging and materials used to handle and process food. And from there they can migrate into the food. This is especially true for fast foods and highly processed foods.

So, most of us are exposed to phthalates. We accumulate them in our bodies. The question is, “How harmful are these chemicals? Should we be concerned?” As with many other chemicals in our environment, the answer isn’t clear.

Phthalates belong to a class of chemicals called “hormone disruptors”. In animal studies phthalates disrupt the reproductive system, especially in males. They can cause developmental problems in the offspring. And they appear to increase the risk of some cancers.

In humans there is emerging evidence that phthalate exposure during pregnancy may impair a child’s brain development and increase their risk for learning, behavioral, and attention disorders.

At the other end of the spectrum, a recent study found a link between increased phthalate exposure and premature death in older Americans. The authors of that study estimated that phthalate exposure may lead to roughly 100,000 premature deaths each year, resulting in an economic burden of between $40 and $47 billion per year.

Would You Like Phthalates With Your Burger?

That question brings me to the study (L Edwards et al, Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, October 27, 2021) I want to discuss today. This was a preliminary study, so the authors focused on only a few fast foods from 6 fast food chains in the San Antonio area and a single source of phthalate contamination. They measured levels of 11 different phthalates in:

Hamburgers, chicken nuggets, and French fries from two hamburger chains.

Chicken burritos from two Tex-Mex chains.

Cheese pizzas from two pizza chains.

Plastic gloves from two hamburger chains and one Tex-Mex chain.

Each of the phthalates they tested has different properties and different risks. But for purposes of simplicity, I will only discuss total phthalate levels for this review.

Here is what the study found:

10 of the 11 phthalates they analyzed were found in the foods they tested.

86% of the foods they tested were contaminated with one or more phthalate.

Chicken burritos were the most contaminated food, followed by hamburgers, French fries, and chicken nuggets. Cheese pizza was the least contaminated food.

High levels of phthalates were found in the plastic gloves in all 3 locations tested, indicating that the plastic gloves used for handling the foods are one likely source of food contamination.

The authors concluded, “Our findings suggest that phthalates…are abundant in prepared meals available at popular fast-food restaurants. In addition, they are found in food handling gloves, which may be a source of food contamination. These data support prior observations that consumption of highly processed and prepared foods contribute to human exposure of phthalates. Many of these chemicals have been associated with adverse health outcomes or, based on in vitro data, have the potential to be harmful to human health. These results, if confirmed, may inform individual and regulatory reduction strategies.”

In summary, while the evidence is not yet definitive, it is strong enough for us to ask how we might reduce our exposure to phthalates.

How Did Our Bodies Get So Contaminated?

The sobering thought is that this study is just the tip of the iceberg. It looked at 11 chemicals found in 5 foods from 6 fast-food chains and identified one potential source of the chemical contamination of those foods. The problem is much larger.

Crops are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides. Contaminants can also come from polluted surface and ground water.

Hormones and chemicals are used to make animals grow faster, and some of these chemicals make their way into the meats.

Chemicals are added to processed and fast foods to prevent spoilage and give them the desired properties.

Processed and fast foods are produced in factories, often packaged in plastic, and shipped to distant locations where they will be handled by people wearing plastic gloves.

We are even starting to see meats and produce sold in grocery stores prewrapped in plastic.

And, of course, we are exposed to chemicals in our cosmetics, personal care products, and household products. We are even exposed to chemicals through outgassing of our household furnishings.

Once you start to think about all the ways we are exposed to chemicals in our daily lives, it is easy to understand how we can end up with over 200 chemicals in an infant’s umbilical cord blood. It’s easy to understand how our bodies got so contaminated.

Each chemical is present at very low levels. If you look at each chemical individually, you might be tempted to conclude the risk is too small to be concerned about. But when you have hundreds of these chemicals in your body, their effect is cumulative. The risk can become significant.

What Can We Do?

Phthalates are so pervasive in our environment that it would be impossible to completely eliminate our exposure to them. However, there are some ways we can minimize our exposure:

1) Buy organic whenever possible.

2) Eat as close to nature as possible. By that I mean:

- Buy your produce at your local farmer’s market whenever possible.

- Choose grocery stores that source locally and do not wrap meat and produce in plastic.

3) Avoid fast foods and highly processed foods. You already know they are unhealthy. If you needed one more reason to avoid them, this would be it.

4) Read the labels of personal care products and cosmetics and choose those without phthalates.

The Bottom Line

In humans there is emerging evidence that phthalate exposure during pregnancy may impair a child’s brain development and increase their risk for learning, behavioral, and attention disorders. At the other end of the spectrum, a recent study found a link between increased phthalate exposure and premature death in older Americans.

Some previous studies have suggested that processed and fast foods may be contaminated with phthalates. The study discussed in this article looked at 11 phthalates found in 5 foods from 6 fast-food chains and looked at the plastic gloves used to handle the food as one potential source of phthalate contamination. The study found:

86% of the foods they tested were contaminated with one or more phthalate.

Chicken burritos were the most contaminated food, followed by hamburgers, French fries, and chicken nuggets. Cheese pizza was the least contaminated food.

High levels of phthalates were found in the plastic gloves, indicating that the plastic gloves used for handling the foods are one likely source of food contamination.

The authors concluded, “Our findings suggest that phthalates…are abundant in prepared meals available at popular fast-food restaurants. In addition, they are found in food handling gloves, which may be a source of food contamination. These data support prior observations that consumption of highly processed and prepared foods contribute to human exposure of phthalates. These results, if confirmed, may inform individual and regulatory reduction strategies.”

I discuss how to minimize our exposure to phthalates in the article above.

For more details, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Is Diabetes Increasing In Our Children?

November 9, 2021 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Why Is Diabetes Increasing In Our Children?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

Last week I shared a study documenting the alarming increase in ultraprocessed food consumption by our children and the effect it was having on their health (https://www.chaneyhealth.com/healthtips/are-we-killing-our-children-with-kindness/). For example, childhood obesity is closely linked to ultraprocessed food consumption.

In case you don’t understand why that is, here is what I said last week: “Because ultraprocessed foods are made in a factory, not grown on a farm:

They are high in fat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates. That means they have a high caloric density. Each bite has 2-3 times the calories found in a bite of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Even worse, the food industry has weaponized our natural cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. They feed their prototypes to a series of consumer tasting panels until they find the perfect blend of sugar, salt, and fat to create maximum craving.

And if that weren’t enough, they add additives to create the perfect flavor and “mouth appeal”.

- It is no wonder that clinical studies have found a strong correlation between high intake of ultraprocessed food and obesity in both children and adults.

- It is also no wonder that the rate of childhood obesity has almost quadrupled in the last 40 years.”

Unfortunately, whenever you see an increase in obesity, type 2 diabetes is not far behind. Several studies have reported a dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes in our children over the last 20 years.

Because diabetics can manage their blood sugar levels with insulin and/or a variety of drugs, many people consider it as just an inconvenience. Nothing could be further from the truth. Diabetes is a deadly disease, and it is even deadlier when it appears early in life.

You probably already know that long-term complications of diabetes include heart disease and irreversible damage to nerves, kidneys, eyes, and feet. But you may not have known that childhood diabetes is more dangerous than diabetes in adults because:

It is more challenging to manage in children.

The complications of diabetes start to show up much earlier in life and affect quality of life at a much earlier age. For example:

- Cardiovascular events occur 15 years earlier in someone with diabetes.

- On average, a 50-year-old with diabetes will die 6 years earlier than someone without diabetes.

- On average, a 10-year-old with diabetes will die 19 years earlier than a child without diabetes.

The study (JM Lawrence et al, JAMA, 326: 717-727, 2021) I will discuss today is the largest and most comprehensive study of childhood diabetes to date.

How Was This Study Done?

The data for this study were obtained from the SEARCH For Diabetes In Youth Study. This study collected data on physician-diagnosed cases of diabetes in 3.47 million children ages 19 or younger from 6 geographical areas in the US in 2001, 2009, and 2017.

The 6 geographical areas were:

Southern California (7 counties, including Los Angeles).
Colorado (14 counties, including Denver).
Ohio (8 counties, including Cincinnati)
South Carolina (4 counties, including Columbia).
Washington State (5 counties, including Seattle).
Indian Health Service users in select areas of Arizona and New Mexico.

The data on diabetes diagnoses were obtained by creating active surveillance networks composed of pediatric and adult endocrinologists, other clinicians, hospitals, and health plans in the study areas.

Is Diabetes Increasing In Our Children?

To answer this question let’s start with a historical perspective:

In 1950 obesity in US children was rare and type 2 diabetes in children was practically unknown.

- Since then, obesity rates have skyrocketed, and type 2 diabetes has followed along behind it.

Between 1925 and 1950 the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in US children remained constant, but it has been steadily increasing since 1950.

- Type 1 diabetes remains more prevalent than type 2 diabetes in our children, but the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has been increasing faster than type 1 diabetes.

Now let’s look at the results from the SEARCH For Diabetes In Youth Study:

Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes:

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in US children aged 10-19 increased from 0.34/1000 youths in 2001, to 0.46/1000 youths in 2009, to 0.67/1000 youths in 2017.

- This is a 94% increase between 2001 and 2017. Put another way, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in our children has almost doubled in just 16 years!

- The greatest increase was seen among Black (0.85/1000 youths), Hispanic (0.57/1000 youths), and American Indian (0.42/1000 youths) population groups.

These data are consistent with 3 previous studies reporting a doubling of type 2 diabetes in children over similar time periods.

Note: Since data collection ended in 2017, this study does not take into account the increase in type 2 diabetes caused by increased body weight and reduced activity in children during the pandemic. There are no firm data on the increase in type 2 diabetes in children during the pandemic, but some hospitals have reported increases of 50% to 300% in new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes in 2020.

Prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes:

The prevalence of type 1 diabetes in US children aged 19 and younger increased from 1.48/1000 youths in 2001, to 1.93/1000 youths in 2009, to 2.15/1000 youths in 2017.

This is a 45% increase between 2001 and 2017.

- The greatest increase was seen among White (0.93/1000 youths), Black (0.89/1000 youths), and Hispanic (0.59/1000 youths) population groups.

- These data are consistent with a similar study of type 1 diabetes in children in Holland.

In summary:

This study documents a dramatic increase in the prevalence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in US children between 2001 and 2017.

Type 2 diabetes is still less prevalent than type 1 diabetes in US children, but it is increasing twice as fast.

Why Is Diabetes Increasing In Our Children?

When it comes to type 2 diabetes, the experts agree:

The increase in type 2 diabetes in children is directly related to the obesity epidemic, which is now impacting our children. The obesity epidemic is, in turn, caused by:

- Increased reliance on highly processed food by our children, as I discussed last week (https://www.chaneyhealth.com/healthtips/are-we-killing-our-children-with-kindness/).

- Decreased exercise. Video games and social media have replaced actual games played outside.

However, when it comes the increase in type 1 diabetes, the experts are perplexed. There is no easy explanation. Let’s start with the basics:

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. With type 1 diabetics, their immune system starts attacking the insulin-producing beta cells in their pancreas. Consequently, they lose the ability to produce insulin.

The autoimmune response seen in type 1 diabetes is caused by a combination of genes and environment. Specifically:

- Certain genes predispose to type 1 diabetes. However:

- - Only some people with those genes develop type 1 diabetes.

- - Our genetics doesn’t change with time, so genetics cannot explain the increases in type 1 diabetes we are seeing.

That leaves the environment. There are many hypotheses about how our children’s environment influences their risk of developing type 1 diabetes. However:

- Some of these hypotheses involve things that have not changed over the last 15-20 years. They cannot explain the increase in type1 diabetes we are seeing in children.

- Some of these hypotheses are not supported by good data. They are speculative.

With that in mind, I will list the top 5 current hypotheses and evaluate each of them.

#1: The viral infection hypothesis: Basically, this hypothesis states that type 1 diabetes can be triggered by common viral infections such as the flu.

This is a plausible hypothesis. Whenever our immune system is stimulated by invaders it sometimes goes rogue and triggers autoimmune responses.

It is also supported by good data. The onset of type 1 diabetes is often associated with a viral infection in genetically susceptible children.

However, prior to the pandemic viral infections have been constant. They haven’t changed over time. Therefore, they cannot explain an increase in type 1 diabetes between 2001 and 2017.

#2: The hygiene hypothesis: Basically, this hypothesis states that when we raise our children in a sterile environment, their immune system doesn’t develop normally. Essentially the hypothesis is saying that it’s not a bad thing if your toddler eats some dirt and moldy fruits. However:

The data linking hygiene to food allergies is better than the data linking hygiene to autoimmune responses.

There is no evidence that hygiene practices have changed significantly between 2001 and 2017.

#3: The vitamin D hypothesis: Basically, this hypothesis states that vitamin D deficiency is associated with the autoimmune response that causes type 1 diabetes.

One of the functions of vitamin D is to regulate the immune system.

As I have reported previously, suboptimal vitamin D levels are associated with increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

While we know that up to 61% of children in the US have suboptimal vitamin D levels, we don’t know whether that percentage has changed significantly in recent years.

#4: The gut bacteria hypothesis: Basically, this hypothesis suggests that certain populations of gut bacteria increase the risk of developing type 1 diabetes. This is what we know.

Children who develop type 1 diabetes have a unique population of gut bacteria.

This population of gut bacteria also triggers inflammation, and chronic inflammation can lead to autoimmune responses.

A diet rich in highly processed foods supports growth of the same gut bacteria found in children with type 1 diabetes.

Consumption of highly processed foods has increased significantly in the last twenty years.

#5: The obesity hypothesis: Basically, this hypothesis suggests that obesity increases the risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

While the mechanism is not clear, childhood obesity is associated with both inflammatory and autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes.

Childhood obesity has increased dramatically in the past few years.

As you may have noticed, there are weaknesses to each of these hypotheses. This is why there is no current agreement among experts as to why type 1 diabetes is increasing in our children.

My guess is that none of these hypotheses can fully explain the increase in type 1 diabetes in our children, but that several of them may contribute to it.

What Can We Do?

Whatever the mechanism, the increase in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in our children is troubling. Unless this trend is reversed, we may be dooming our children to short, unhealthy lives. So, what can we, as concerned parents and grandparents, do?

For type 2 diabetes, the answer is clear.

1) Reverse the dominance of ultraprocessed foods in children’s diets. Encourage the consumption of whole, unprocessed or minimally processed foods, and include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Set a good example as well.

2) Encourage more activity. Get them outside and moving. Create family activities that involve exercise.

3) Reverse the obesity epidemic. If we succeed in reversing the dominance of ultraprocessed foods in their diet and encouraging more activity, we can reverse the obesity epidemic without putting our children on crazy diets.

For type 1 diabetes, the answer is less clear because the cause for the increase in type 1 diabetes is uncertain. However, I will point out that:

1) Increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes supports the growth of friendly gut bacteria that reduce inflammation and the risk of autoimmune diseases. For more detail on an anti-inflammatory diet, click here.

2) Reversing the obesity epidemic also reduces inflammation and the risk of autoimmune diseases.

3) Adequate vitamin D levels reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes. My recommendation is to get your 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels tested and supplement with vitamin D3 as needed, especially during the winter months.

The Bottom Line

Last week I shared a study documenting the alarming increase in ultraprocessed food consumption by our children and the effect it was having on their health. For example, childhood obesity is closely linked to ultraprocessed food consumption, and the rate of childhood obesity has almost quadrupled in the last 40 years.

Unfortunately, whenever you see an increase in obesity, type 2 diabetes is not far behind. This week’s study looked at the prevalence of childhood diabetes in 3.47 million children from 6 geographical areas of the United States between 2001 and 2017. This study found:

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in US children increased 94% between 2001 and 2017. It almost doubled.

The prevalence of type 1 diabetes in US children increased 45% between 2001 and 2017.

These statistics are tragic because diabetes is a deadly disease.

It is more challenging to manage in children.

The complications of diabetes start to show up much earlier in life and affect quality of life at a much earlier age. For example:

- Cardiovascular events occur 15 years earlier in someone with diabetes.

- On average, a 50-year-old with diabetes will die 6 years earlier than someone without diabetes.

- On average, a 10-year-old with diabetes will die 19 years earlier than a child without diabetes.

For more details about this study, why the prevalence of diabetes in US children is increasing, and what we can do about it, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease

Are We Killing Our Children With Kindness?

November 2, 2021 by Dr. Steve Chaney

The Danger Of Ultraprocessed Foods

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

It breaks my heart when I see a mom and her children in the checkout line of a supermarket with a cart filled with sodas, sweets, and convenience foods and devoid of fresh fruits and vegetables – or when I see fast food restaurants packed with parents and their children.

I get it. Our kids love these foods. It seems like an act of kindness to give them the foods they crave. But are we killing our children with kindness?

Let me explain. The human brain is hardwired to crave sweets, salt, and fat. In prehistoric times each of these cravings had a survival benefit. For example:

Mother’s milk is naturally sweet. It only makes sense that babies should crave the nutrition source that is essential for their early growth and development.

Fruits provide a cornucopia of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. But fruits were scarce and seasonal in prehistoric times. Their sweetness provided an incentive for early man to seek them out.

Some salt is essential for life. Yet in early history it was scare. It was worth its weight in gold.

In prehistoric times it was feast or famine. The human body has an unlimited capacity to store fat in times of plenty, and those fat stores carried early man through times of famine.

Today most Americans live in a time of food abundance. There are fast food restaurants on almost every street corner and in every shopping mall. We think of famine as the days we skipped lunch because we were busy.

Yet these cravings remain, and the food industry has weaponized them. They are churning out an endless supply highly processed foods and beverages. These foods are not being designed to improve their nutritional value. They are designed to satisfy our cravings and lure us and our children into consuming more of them every year.

Scientists have developed a classification system that assigns foods in the American diet to different groups based on the degree of processing of that food. As you might expect, the best classification is unprocessed foods. The worst classification is called “ultraprocessed foods”. [I will describe this classification system in more detail in the next section.]

It is time we asked how much ultraprocessed foods our children are eating and what it is doing to their health. That is the topic of the study (L Wang et al, JAMA, 326: 519-530, 2021) I will discuss today.

How Was This Study Done?

The data for this study were obtained from NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) dietary data collected from 33,795 American children (ages 2-19, average age = 10) between 1999 and 2018.

NHANES is a program conducted by the CDC to survey the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. The survey has been conducted on a continuous, yearly basis since 1999.

The dietary data are collected via 24-hour dietary recalls conducted by trained interviewers, with a second recall administered over the phone 3-10 days later to improve the accuracy of the data.

Children aged 12-19 completed the dietary survey on their own.

For children aged 6-11, a parent or guardian assisted them in filling out the survey.

For children aged 2-5, a parent or guardian filled out the survey for them.

The foods and beverages consumed by the children were divided into 4 major groups based on the extent of processing using a well-established classification system called NOVA. The 4 groups are:

1) Unprocessed Or Minimally Processed Foods.

This includes whole foods and foods that are minimally processed without the addition of oils, fats, sugar, salt, or other ingredients to the food.

Examples of minimally processed foods include things like oatmeal, nut butters, dried fruit, frozen fruits or vegetables, and dried beans.

2) Processed Culinary Ingredients.

This includes recipes from restaurants or in-home cooking that add small amounts of oils, fats, sugar, salt, and seasonings to whole foods.

3) Processed Foods

This includes foods made in factories by the addition of salt, sugar, oil, or other substances added to whole or minimally processed foods.

Examples include tomato paste, canned fruits packed in sugar syrup, cheese, smoked or cured meat.

4) Ultraprocessed Foods

These are industrial formulations created in factories mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods (oils, fats, sugar, starch, and proteins), derived from food constituents (hydrogenated fats and modified starch), or synthesized in laboratories (flavor enhancers, colors, and food additives).

Examples include sugar sweetened beverages; sweet or savory packaged snacks; chocolates and candies; burgers, hot dogs, and sausages; poultry and fish nuggets, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes.

Are We Killing Our Children With Kindness?

As I said above, the important question is, “Are we killing our children with kindness when we give them the sugary drinks, sweets, convenience foods, and fast foods they crave?” After all, the foods we give them when they are young are the ones they are most likely to select when they get older.

Let’s start by looking at how pervasive these foods have become. That was the purpose of the study I am discussing today, and the results of this study are alarming. When they looked at the changes in food consumption by our children between 1999 and 2018:

The percentage of calories from ultraprocessed foods increased from 61.4% to 67%. That means:

- Today, more than 2/3 of the calories our children consume daily come from ultraprocessed foods!

The percentage of calories from unprocessed and minimally processed foods decreased from 28.8% to 23.5%. That means:

- In the span of just 19 years the diets of our children have gone from bad to worse!

Ultraprocessed foods were more likely to be consumed away from home and at fast food restaurants.

When the investigators looked at individual categories of ultraprocessed foods:

The percentage of calories coming from ready to heat and eat dishes like frozen pizzas and other frozen meals or snacks increased from 2.2% to 11.2%.

The percentage of calories coming from sweet snacks and desserts increased from 10.7% to 12.9%.

The percentage of calories coming from sugar sweetened beverages decreased from 10.8% to 5.3%.

- This is potentially the only good news from this study.

The authors concluded. “Based on NHANES data from 1999 to 2018, the estimated energy intake from consumption of ultraprocessed foods has increased among youths in the US and has consistently comprised the majority of their total energy intake.”

“These results suggest that food processing may need to be considered as a food dimension in addition to nutrients and food groups in future dietary recommendations and food policies.”

The Danger Of Ultraprocessed Foods

This study clearly shows that ultraprocessed foods have become the mainstay of our children’s diets. Forget a balanced diet! Forget “Eat your fruits and vegetables”! Our children’s diets have been fundamentally transformed by “Big Food, Inc”.

You might be saying to yourself, “So, they are eating their favorite processed foods. What’s the big deal? How bad can it be?” My answer is, “Pretty Bad”. I chose the title, “Are we killing our children with kindness”, for a reason.

When you look at what happens to children who eat a diet that is mostly ultraprocessed foods:

#1: Their nutrition suffers. When the investigators divided the children into 5 groups based on the percentage of calories coming from ultraprocessed foods, the children consuming the most ultraprocessed food had:

Significantly higher intakes of carbohydrates (mostly refined carbohydrates); total fats; polyunsaturated fats (mostly highly processed omega-6-rich vegetable oils); and added sugars.

Significantly lower intakes of fiber; protein; omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; calcium; magnesium; potassium; zinc; vitamins A, C, D, and folate.

- The low intake of fiber means our children will be less likely to have health-promoting friendly bacteria and more likely to have disease-promoting bad bacteria in their guts.

- The low intake of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D means they will be less likely to achieve maximum bone density as young adults and will be more likely to suffer from osteoporosis as they age.

#2: They are more likely to become obese. Remember, these are foods that are made in a factory, not grown on a farm.

They are high in fat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates. That means they have a high caloric density. Each bite has 2-3 times the calories found in a bite of fresh fruits and vegetables.

As I said earlier, the food industry has weaponized our natural cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. They feed their prototypes to a series of consumer tasting panels until they find the perfect blend of sugar, salt, and fat to create maximum craving.

And if that weren’t enough, they add additives to create the perfect flavor and “mouth appeal”.

- It is no wonder that clinical studies have found a strong correlation between high intake of ultraprocessed food and obesity in both children and adults.

- It is also no wonder that the rate of childhood obesity has almost quadrupled (5% to 18.5%) in the last 40 years.

#3: They are more likely to become sick as adults and die prematurely.

Obesity; high intake of fat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates; and low intake of fiber, omega-3s, and essential nutrients all contribute to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

- It is no wonder that clinical studies have found a strong correlation between high intake of ultraprocessed food and increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and premature death in adults.

- It is also no wonder a recent study found that type 2 diabetes in children has almost doubled between 2001 and 2017.

The data are clear. When we allow our children to subsist on a diet mostly made up of the ultraprocessed foods they crave, we may be giving them, not love, but a lifetime of obesity and declining health instead. And yes, we may be killing them with kindness.

Instead, my recommendations are:

expose your children to a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and minimally processed foods at an early age.

They will reject some of them, and that’s OK. Introduce others until you find whole, minimally processed foods they like. Reintroduce them to some of the foods they initially rejected as they get older.

Don’t keep tempting ultraprocessed foods in your house.

You may just succeed in putting your children on the path to a healthier diet and a healthier, longer life.

The Bottom Line

I get it. Our kids love these foods. It seems like an act of kindness to give them the foods they crave. But are we killing our children with kindness?

It is time we asked how much ultraprocessed foods our children are eating and what it is doing to their health. A recent study did just that. When they looked at the changes in food consumption by our children between 1999 and 2018:

The percentage of calories from ultraprocessed foods increased from 61.4% to 67%. That means:

- Today, more than 2/3 of the calories our children consume daily come from ultraprocessed foods!

The percentage of calories from unprocessed and minimally processed foods decreased from 28.8% to 23.5%. That means:

- In the span of just 19 years the diets of our children have gone from bad to worse!

When you look at what happens to children who eat a diet that is mostly ultraprocessed foods:

Their nutrition suffers.

They are more likely to become obese.

They are more likely to become sick as adults and die prematurely.

For more details about this study, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.