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Fast Food Linked to Asthma & Eczema in Children

Posted by Lynda on January 18th, 2013 (Diet, Health, Nutrition)

One news headline this week was impossible to ignore as a dietitian – and that was the result of one of the largest international studies of its kind to look at the effect diet has on asthma, eczema and allergies in children.

 

The conclusions of the study are are fascinating – not just because of the results themselves, but because of the size and reach of the study.  All the participants were involved in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), which is a collaborative research project involving more than 100 countries.

This study is based on data from more than 319,000 teens (13-14 year olds) from 107 centres in 51 countries, and more than 181,000 children (6-7 year olds) from 64 centres in 31 countries.  Now that is an enormous sample – in fact its the largest study of its kind.

The data, published in the British medical  journal Thorax, found that children who ate 3 servings of take-away fast-food a week had higher incidences of asthma, eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis.

The increased risk wasn’t minimal either :-

• 13 – 14-year-olds eating 3+ servings of fast food weekly had a 39% increased risk of severe asthma
• 6 – 7-year-olds had a 27% increased risk

The results also suggested that fresh fruit and veg had a protective effect.  The data found that those who ate 3 serves of fresh fruit and vegetables a week had less severe cases of asthma and eczema than those that did not – actually cutting the risk of severe asthma, eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis by between 11% and 14%

Interestingly, one of the authors, Professor Williams from Nottingham University in the UK, described the results as ‘remarkably consistent’ when looking at specific regions of the world and within different levels of affluence and sex.  And adds that although the study was not trying to find a direct cause-and-effect link between fast food and allergies – the results have obvious implications considering cases of asthma and eczema in children are on the rise.

As a dietitian the message to me is clear.  Fresh, natural foods that are not full of E numbers, preservatives and flavour enhancers are essential for good health.  Fast food is packed with these chemical nasties which are not a natural part of the human diet – and so, our body’s react to them.

No matter how old you are, a diet of plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is an essential part of healthy diet.  Preparing your own meals from fresh ingredients so you know exactly what is in your food is also key to a healthy diet and a long, healthy life.

You can read the news article about the study in The Guardian

By Lynda Hamilton

Lynda Hamilton is an  Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist BSc, BHSc (N&D) at Hamilton Dietetics based in Sydney.  If you would like to speak to a dietitian in Sydney, get in touch with Lynda.  You will also find fact sheets and diet advice videos on her website.

 

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