According to a recent United Kingdom research fast food may weaken your child’s bone.
Advertisement
More than a thousand children living in the county of Hampshire, UK, were included in the study, and had DXA scans either within two weeks of birth or at age four or six years. Both BMD and BMC are measurements used to evaluate and project a child’s bone health and growth.
“These findings suggest that the exposure of mothers and children to more healthy food environments might optimize childhood bone development through its influence on the quality of the maternal diet and dietary choices during childhood”, says the co-author, Professor Cyrus Cooper, Chair of the worldwide Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Committee of Scientific Advisors, as quoted in the press release of IOF.
After adjustments for other variables, researchers found that greater access to fast food outlets was associated with lower BMD and BMC in newborns. However, it was noticed that fast food stores in locality did not affect much but the difference lied due to increasing neighbourhood exposure to healthy speciality stores, such as greengrocers.
Put it another way: Pregnant women’s fast food intake may have a ripple effect on how their children develop.
Protein, calcium, vitamin D, fruits, and vegetables all positively influence bone health, especially during those early years. The data obtained was compared to the number of fast food outlets, supermarkets and healthy specialty stores present in the neighbourhood.
They say in the United Kingdom, a few local authorities are introducing planning laws banning fast food outlets close to schools and also preventing fast food outlets from being clustered together.
Advertisement
Cooper further added that the study is still in its preliminary stage and more extensive study is needed to confirm the findings.
