10 New Sources for Obesity and Fast Food

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Value for money or making the healthy choice: the impact of proportional pricing on consumers' portion size choices
Willemijn M Vermeer, Esther Alting, Ingrid H M Steenhuis, Jacob C Seidell. European Journal of Public Health. Oxford: Feb 2010. Vol. 20, Iss. 1; pg. 65

Abstract (Summary)
Large food portion sizes are determinants of a high caloric intake, especially if they have been made attractive through value size pricing (i.e. lower unit prices for large than for small portion sizes). The purpose of the two questionnaire studies that are reported in this article was to assess the impact of proportional pricing (i.e. removing beneficial prices for large sizes) on people's portion size choices of high caloric food and drink items. Both studies employed an experimental design with a proportional pricing condition and a value size pricing condition. Study 1 was conducted in a fast food restaurant (N = 150) and study 2 in a worksite cafeteria (N = 141). Three different food products (i.e. soft drink, chicken nuggets in study 1 and a hot meal in study 2) with corresponding prices were displayed on pictures in the questionnaire. Outcome measures were consumers' intended portion size choices. No main effects of pricing were found. However, confronted with proportional pricing a trend was found for overweight fast food restaurant visitors being more likely to choose small portion sizes of chicken nuggets (OR = 4.31, P = 0.07) and less likely to choose large soft drink sizes (OR = 0.07, P = 0.04). Among a general public, proportional pricing did not reduce consumers' size choices. However, pricing strategies can help overweight and obese consumers selecting appropriate portion sizes of soft drink and high caloric snacks. More research in realistic settings with actual behaviour as outcome measure is required.

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Development and Evaluation of a Brief Screener to Estimate Fast-Food and Beverage Consumption among Adolescents
Melissa C Nelson, Leslie A Lytle. American Dietetic Association. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Chicago: Apr 2009. Vol. 109, Iss. 4; pg. 730

Abstract (Summary)
Sweetened beverage and fast-food intake have been identified as important targets for obesity prevention. However, there are few brief dietary assessment tools available to evaluate these behaviors among adolescents. The objective of this research was to examine reliability and validity of a 22-item dietary screener assessing adolescent consumption of specific energy-containing and non- energy-containing beverages (nine items) and fast food (13 items). The screener was administered to adolescents (ages 11 to 18 years) recruited from the Minneapolis/St Paul, MN, metro region. One sample of adolescents completed test-retest reliability of the screener (n=33, primarily white adolescents). Another adolescent sample completed the screener along with three 24-hour dietary recalls to assess criterion validity (n=59 white adolescents). Test-retest assessments were completed approximately 7 to 14 days apart, and agreement between the two administrations of the screener was substantial, with most items yielding Spearman correlations and k statistics that were >0.60. When compared to the gold standard dietary recall data, findings indicate that the validity of the screener items assessing adolescents' intake of regular soda, sports drinks, milk, and water was fair. However, the differential assessment periods captured by the two methods (ie, 1 month for the screener vs 3 days for the recalls) posed challenges in analysis and made it impossible to assess the validity of some screener items. Overall while these screener items largely represent reliable measures with fair validity, our findings highlight the challenges inherent in the validation of brief dietary assessment tools. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

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Increasing obesity in children and adolescents: An alarming epidemic
Kimberly M Wilkinson. JAAPA : Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Montvale: Dec 2008. Vol. 21, Iss. 12; pg. 31, 7 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Currently, adolescents have an increased intake of sweetened beverages, French fries, pizza, and fast food entrees, and a consequent inadequate intake of recommended fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, whole grains, lean meats, and fish.11 School lunch programs are also to blame for the rise in the numbers of overweight children. Behavior targets include increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fiber-containing grain products, switching from full-fat to 1% or fat-free dairy products after age 2 years, preparing and eating family meals at home, increasing daily physical activity, and limiting sedentary time.8 Interventions that include changes to classroom and physical education curricula and after-school programs as well as dietary modifications in school meals and vending machine products, can improve dietary patterns and increase physical activity.

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Healthful Fast Foods Not Part of Healthful Revenue
Karen Stein. American Dietetic Association. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Chicago: Mar 2006. Vol. 106, Iss. 3; pg. 344

Abstract (Summary)
When the prevalence of overweight and obesity was upgraded from "common" to "epidemic," the media reports on how to combat it were consistent in repeating what health care professionals had been saying for a long time: overconsumption of fast food could have a negative impact on a person's weight. Many fast food restaurants began adding more healthful options to their menus, but some chains discovered that such items were not necessarily profitable.

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Fast food and sedentary lifestyle: a combination that leads to obesity
David R Jacobs Jr. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Bethesda: Feb 2006. Vol. 83, Iss. 2; pg. 189

Abstract (Summary)
Bes-Rastrollo et al. report that the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fast-food intake--and, to a lesser extent the consumption of sweetened fruit drinks and red meat--predicts a weight gain of [about] 0.4 kg/y independent of energy intake, physical activity, and television viewing. Jacobs says Bes-Rastrollo et al. points out the need for societal changes in diet; however, attention to physical activity is also required.

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Portion distortion: a food service viewpoint
John S A Edwards. The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health. London: May 2005. Vol. 125, Iss. 3; pg. 109, 2 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Business must make a profit in order to survive, and it applies just as much to the food service industry as any other. Portion sizes are an important marketing tool used to increase sales and therefore, profit. Here, Edwards analyzes whether food service industry has a moral responsibility to ensure that people consume an appropriate diet, and should portion sizes be used as one of the techniques.

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Fast Food Really Can Be Unhealthy...
Anonymous. Child Health Alert. Newton Highlands: Mar 2005. Vol. 23 pg. 3, 1 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
Obesity is widely recognized as a major public health problem in the US, and health experts are particularly concerned about the dramatic increases in obesity among children. Two major causes are lack of exercise and diet; when it comes to diet, many have blamed fast food. In a study, researchers have found out that the more people ate fast food, the more their body weight increased.

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Health Consequences Of Too Much Fast Food
Maryann Napoli. HealthFacts. New York: Mar 2005. Vol. 30, Iss. 3; pg. 3, 1 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
According to the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, eating fast food regularly increases the odds of becoming obese and/or type 2 diabetic. This is the first large-scale, long-term study to investigate the link between fast-food consumption and changes in body weight and insulin resistance.

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Poor Options Affect Kids' Weight Gain
Anonymous. USA Today. Farmingdale: Feb 2008. Vol. 136, Iss. 2753; pg. 3, 2 pgs

Abstract (Summary)
It asserts that, in most middle and high schools across the nation, contracts with soft drink bottling companies give students easy access to sugary beverages.

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Raising fit kids in a fattening world
Barbara Loecher. Prevention. Emmaus: Nov 2002. Vol. 54, Iss. 11; pg. 114

Abstract (Summary)
About nine million US children are overweight or obese. Loecher offers tips to parents of obese children, including quietly phasing in changes, encouraging one-bite trials, and improving the quality of snack attacks.