A small study (published in Pediatrics) shows that teenagers will overeat fast food regardless of visual cues or portion size.
The lead study author calls for “fundamental improvements in the nutritional quality of fast food” – not just shrinking the meals. What’s interesting about this research is that it doesn’t quite fit with the usual paradigms that blame visual cues for overeating.
The teenagers were offered a meal of nuggets, fries, and coke. Over three different days, the meal was presented in three different ways; all at once, split into four smaller portions, or allocated out over 1 hour.
Regardless of the presentation – the teens still consumed the same amount – 1300 calories. Subjects for the study included teens who were overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.
So what is it about fast food?
I can clearly remember digging into buckets of KFC chicken in my teens. At the time I couldn’t have cared less about nutrition. My “fast metabolism” seemed to cope with it all quite nicely. Then came the mid twenties and my body suddenly started reflecting my food choices.
Asking a teenager to avoid fast food is like asking them to save money for retirement.
It’s not going to happen.
So can you make fast food healthier?
Well, it’s an ambitious idea with no magic bullet. But the American Heart Association (AHA) gives it a shot with their list of ways to “Make Fast Food Friendlier.”
Most of the suggestions are no-brainers, but keep in mind, someone walking into a McDonald’s – especially a raging adolescent – isn’t too concerned about improving their triple bacon double cheeseburger.
Either way, here are some of the AHA’s tips:
- Don’t super-size anything.
- Pass on side dishes; except for fruit cups or salads.
- Ask for a wheat bun.
- No double meat or bacon.
- Go for the grilled chicken.
- Eat your burger without the bun.
- Skip the mayonnaise or other rich sauces.
- Drink water or diet soda.
Image credit: Laughing Squid
thats right
i watched a movie and a guy had to get surgery from being obese
I don’t like liver, but veal is delicious. But at the same time, I do not know very many teenagers that would eat liver or veal for that matter..and a kids idea of chocolate mouse is a frosty.
Kudos for liking to cook yourself though.
Okay, I’m 14 too and I don’t mind eating Fastfood, just as long as I don’t eat it all the time. Too much is just ridicules.
Hey everyone I’m doing my senior project on teen diet and how so many eat so badly, if you could help me out with this it would be so much help! Email me at Amandasossy@hotmail.com
I think that it is because teenagers like to seem independant. They get this feeling when they buy there own things that are all for themselves.Teenagers spend alot of time out with their friends and so it probably seems “cool” to them to go and buy their OWN lunch or dinner.
i am a tenager and i eat fast food for comfourt and plesure and fun
Subway isnt all that healthy. If you read the calorie thing, you will find that it is very very high. Try Quiznos or something. You will find that their food is very good, and that it is alot heathier than Subway
Fast food is geared towards teenagers. It’s tasty, cheap and the advertisements are great in attracting young people. It’s easy for anyone, not just teenagers to overeat fast food. It’s just too tasty!
i was a fat teen once. i lost all the weight but before it was different.i ate fast food all the time. in freshman year i gained 20 pounds.i was constantly called names. then after 2 more years i put on 45 more pounds. iwas 5ft 7in and 198 pounds. i was in denile about my weight un till people really made fun of me. kids called me onik oink piggy thunder thighs fatty and porker. then there was a party out at a farm. there was a lot of people. there were a lot of popular people too.then someone said they wanted me in the barn so i went. when i walked in i was pushed down and tied up. they all satrted to call me names.then 3 boys picked me up and dropped me in the pig sty with all the pigs and said have a nice family reunion.i tried to get up but slipped and i was there all night
kelly actually eating fast foods is very cheap and that
is why it is very addicted.and cooking your own food is was health you get to see what you are putting in it.
brain you should cook something while your mom is
at work and then you wouldn’t have to eat food fast
everday!
i’m glad you like fast food but try something differnt
your like it
jimmy i think you shouldn’t eat as much
because you only need to eat fist size on plate
okay try that and you will see good turn over.
I think that eating fast food is in the long run more expensive than eating at home. Besides, health concerns. I always liked dinners with the family and learned to cook while in my teen years, so for me there are no advantages in eating out in places like McDonald’s.
omg dont get to be 300 pounds
i keep hearing, ” some teens have a high metabolism, so they can eat what ever they want and not see any change of body mass”.
as an athlete myself, i too have a high metabolism and i keep myself physically fit. what everyone is forgetting is the negative effects of fast food that don’t show up on the outside and are not seen by others. these effects, such as fatigue and lack of endurance are felt only by the individual. so everyone who says it is ok to eat fast food if you have a high metabolism needs to think again. Fast food lacks the nutrients essential to maintaining high day-to-day performance.
Im a teen and i hate fastfood but i eat it every day because thats al my mom ever gets. she never cooks and when i offer to cook she gets mad. so what am i sapposed to do?
Im a teen and i —>HATE<— fast food yet i have to eat it every day because thats all my mom gets. She never cooks and when i offer to cook she gets mad so what am i saposed to do?
hello?
Hahah fast food is good!! YUMMMMMMMMM
I’m 16, and whenever I go out with my friends we hardly ever go to a fast food place. Usually we’ll go to a cafe and have coffee, and my friends will order like a panini with salad or something healthy. Though if at a fast food place, it amazes me how everyone can eat burgers and chips without caring about the nutritional or caloric content. Also, how they will order regular coke instead of diet when the cost the same, taste virtually the same and could save them 350+ calories they could have avoided. lately I’ve heard a lot about sugar in soft drinks being one of the key elements behind childhood and teen obesity, as well as fast food, of course.
All this said, it is relevant that I have had anorexia for about a year. It is such a huge difference in attitudes between my friends who – will wolf down a burger, chips, coke and still want ice cream, not caring what they consume – and the girls I’ve met in hospital, who, like me, obsessively monitor every calorie and know the nutritional value of everything.
In extremes, neither attitude will work but there does need to be some consideration of what we put in our mouths.
I could go on all day about attitudes surrounding food but I won’t.
Teenagers eat in fast food places because they taste good, they provide a sense of independance as they are not eating at home, and are a social activity as well as being conveniently located near places you go to hang out or shop. Most teens just don’t care too much about what they eat, although my friends will be discerning when given choice and go for something a little more interesting than Maccas.
I LOVE FAST FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!
Gross i hate fast food..i barely eat it im only 12 but im not eating fast food really, only once every three weeks i think..well maybe a little more. But later on it’s gonna show up and you will look all gross i mean reallywho wants to eat food drowned in grease, i dont!
The options are not either fast food or strict dieting. You could also eat as much as you want, but of real foods that have a good nutritional value. It is pretty easy to do.
im leaving my teens in a few months, but I love fast food for several reasons.
I go to the gym for strength training, I ride my bike 10+ miles several times a week, and I have a pretty fast metabolism.
Over the past 2 months I’ve actually lost weight eating terrible. At such a young age if you exercise properly you can eat whatever you want without dramatic changes to your body.
When I get older I will probably make more time to exercise over strict dieting food is just too delicious
.