You Are Where You Eat: How Fast Food Affects Diabetes Risk
Fast food is an appealing, accessible option in today’s busy world, but it can have serious consequences for long-term health. One of these impacts is an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus, simply known as diabetes, is a disease that affects how the body controls glucose—a type of sugar—in the bloodstream. Type 2 diabetes in particular is a preventable illness that occurs when the body cannot properly use insulin, a hormone that manages blood glucose levels. If insulin fails to do its job, the body will not be able to use glucose for energy, which will cause glucose to stay circulating in the blood. These elevated blood sugar levels lead to undesirable complications, such as damage to the liver, kidney disease, and even vision loss.
A study published in 2022 on food environments in South Asia revealed that the presence of fast-food restaurants in a community was positively associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. In other words, those who lived in an area with many fast-food restaurants tended to be more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Specifically, the study saw an 8% increase in the probability of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for every 1% increase in the number of fast-food restaurants near that individual’s home. As the number of fast-food restaurant locations increased, so did the likelihood of having diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus, simply known as diabetes, is a disease that affects how the body controls glucose—a type of sugar—in the bloodstream. Type 2 diabetes in particular is a preventable illness that occurs when the body cannot properly use insulin, a hormone that manages blood glucose levels. If insulin fails to do its job, the body will not be able to use glucose for energy, which will cause glucose to stay circulating in the blood. These elevated blood sugar levels lead to undesirable complications, such as damage to the liver, kidney disease, and even vision loss.
A study published in 2022 on food environments in South Asia revealed that the presence of fast-food restaurants in a community was positively associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. In other words, those who lived in an area with many fast-food restaurants tended to be more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Specifically, the study saw an 8% increase in the probability of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for every 1% increase in the number of fast-food restaurants near that individual’s home. As the number of fast-food restaurant locations increased, so did the likelihood of having diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body cannot properly use insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels.
Image Source: stevepb
This relationship could be due to the convenience of fast-food options. Especially for workers, fast-food restaurants are an easy solution to getting a quick meal while on the go. However, food from these restaurants also tends to be unhealthy, packed with sugars, fats, preservatives, and other harmful substances. Regularly eating this type of food puts individuals at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes, mainly due to their elevated sugar consumption.
It should be noted that this study has some limitations. Rather than being conducted as an experiment, this study was observational. This means that the data was collected from people living their normal lives without interference from the researchers. As a result, the researchers could not fully control several factors, such as people who shop for food outside of their community. Since this extra information may confound the relationship they were observing, the investigators could not conclude that an increase in fast food directly caused a higher risk for diabetes. Instead, the study demonstrates that the two variables—the number of fast-food restaurants and type 2 diabetes risk—are closely related and increase together.
Nevertheless, the relationship between fast-food restaurants and diabetes is important to keep in mind. As diabetes currently has no cure, preventing its onset through maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise routine, and eating a balanced diet is crucial to overall health. In this respect, being conscious of restaurants and markets in the local area can help. With this knowledge, it becomes easier to seek out healthy food options while avoiding harmful ones, particularly if there are many fast-food joints available.
It should be noted that this study has some limitations. Rather than being conducted as an experiment, this study was observational. This means that the data was collected from people living their normal lives without interference from the researchers. As a result, the researchers could not fully control several factors, such as people who shop for food outside of their community. Since this extra information may confound the relationship they were observing, the investigators could not conclude that an increase in fast food directly caused a higher risk for diabetes. Instead, the study demonstrates that the two variables—the number of fast-food restaurants and type 2 diabetes risk—are closely related and increase together.
Nevertheless, the relationship between fast-food restaurants and diabetes is important to keep in mind. As diabetes currently has no cure, preventing its onset through maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise routine, and eating a balanced diet is crucial to overall health. In this respect, being conscious of restaurants and markets in the local area can help. With this knowledge, it becomes easier to seek out healthy food options while avoiding harmful ones, particularly if there are many fast-food joints available.
Featured Image Source: megarene
RELATED ARTICLES
|
Vertical Divider
|
Vertical Divider
|
Vertical Divider
|
