Junk Food Consumption Among Teenagers Declined During Pandemic

During the pandemic, the intake of ultra-processed foods among teenagers in the US dropped, revealed a study.

The study, presented at ENDO 2022, stated that the decline in junk food consumption among teenagers took place in the wake of several unprecedented changes brought by the pandemic, including the closure of schools, social restrictions, and the shift to working from home.

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‘Energy drinks, potato chips, sugary sodas and candy are considered ultra-processed and are widely linked to rising obesity and expanding waistlines.’

"We found that teenagers’ consumption of these foods has decreased significantly during Covid-19," said lead researcher Maria Balhara of Broward College in Davie, Florida.

"Further, the decrease has been sustainable and continued its downward trend even after easing pandemic restrictions," Balhara added.

Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Among Teenagers

Previous research has found that ultra-processed food intake now comprises 67% of the adolescent diet.

For the study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, the team involved 452 participants ages 13 to 19.

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The study found that after the Covid-19 restrictions were introduced, participants’ average ultra-processed food consumption score dropped by nearly 6%, and it continued to decline as the Covid-19 restrictions later eased.

It is now almost 14% below the level it was before the pandemic began.

Quiz on Junk Food

"Every living cell in your body is made from the food you eat. If you consistently eat junk food then you’ll have a junk body." - Jeanette Jenkins

Junk food has become increasingly popular in India with many traditional dishes being adapted to suit the emerging fast food trend. International fast food chains like Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Pizza Hut have hundreds of outlets in all major cities and they have plans to invest $100 million more to increase the number of their stores across India to 1,000 by 2015. With junk food now set to become the new “normal”, maybe it’s time to take a step back and think about what goes into these foods? Take our quiz and find out how much you know about junk food:

Source-IANS

Fast Foods
Fast foods contain as much as 500 calories per serve which is even higher than the calories that a lunch or dinner should provide. Majority of Indians have a flawed perception of healthy food options.