We all know that fast food isn’t good for us. Hell, fast food knows it’s not good for us. It keeps trying to be a little bit better for us but it’s hard to taste as good as it does, be as cheap and as quick as it is while staying healthy. Most of us admit it as a guilty treat, something to have once every couple of weeks as a ‘well done’ for life in general but won’t eat at the restaurants too often. This in itself is fine, especially if you’re an adult as you’re bigger and better suited to burning off the calories.
For kids the risks may be worse, especially because a guilty pleasure is something which they’re likely to take to excess. They won’t have the experience to do anything else, it tastes good and therefore they’re going to want to eat a lot of it. I can remember when I was a kid, the rare trip to a certain burger restaurant named after a certain farmer were hugely exciting.
There are the obvious health risks of eating excessive amounts of fatty foods, obesity being the main one. However, in a recent study it was shown that eczema and asthma could also be caused by eating a regular fast food burger. In fact kids in their early teens who ate three or more weekly servings of fast food were 39% more likely to develop severe asthma and those between six and seven were 27% more likely.
These statistics are worrying on their own but the risk can be lessened drastically by making sure your kids don’t eat the stuff that often. Eating lots of fruit and veg can have a protective affect on kids and lessen the chances of contracting either of the conditions by around 13%.
It’s about finding a balance and not having too much of a good thing! Use it as a treat for kids but don’t let it become a staple!
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