Fast Food Restaurants Make Their Neighbors Less Healthy

The more readily available fast food is, the more people will eat it, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina.  Using data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study, they tracked consumption of fast food vs. fruits and vegetables in four US cities for a total of 5,115 people.  The conclusion?  In areas with few or no supermarkets but ample fast food restaurants, locals were drawn to the latter.  This was especially true for people living in low-income areas, and for men living within two miles of a fast food place.  The researchers also saw no link between proximity to a supermarket and increased fruit or vegetable consumption.

“The results of this study remind us that even when healthy food options are available, people often choose to eat unhealthy fast foods and even tend to make unhealthy choices among potential ‘healthier’ fast-food restaurant options,” say boomer generation health experts Dian Griesel, Ph.D., and Tom Griesel, authors of the new book TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust (April 2011, BSH). TurboCharged® is a groundbreaking 8-Step program that defies common weight-loss theories. It successfully delivers body-defining rapid fat loss, accelerates metabolism, and improves health and odds of longevity without gimmicks, supplements or special equipment.

“This could be due to ease of preparation, speed of delivery, or even perceived value,” adds Dian.  “Fast food is usually made with a combination of sugars, fat and salt that stimulate taste buds, making healthier choices seem bland in comparison.”

“It is ultimately the responsibility of each individual to educate themselves and their families and then resolve to make diet choices that will build their health instead of harming it,” says Tom.  “The undeniable connection between diet choices and health needs to become a part of our education system both at home and in our schools.  The foods and beverages we choose to consume have a greater effect on our health, positive or negative, than any other factor we personally have control over.”

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