Minors who consume ‘carrying food’ with greater assiduity ingest more calories and less vitamins and minerals than those who enjoy cooked meals at home.

A study warns that more than half of the US children will be obese at age 30.

The number of households in our country is increasingly in charge of meals to ‘exterior’.

And it is that the prepared food or ‘carrying food’ is not only much more comfortable than cooking, but also very accessible.

But, this meal to carry, is it as nutritious and, above all, as ‘healthy’ as homemade food?Well no.

Research in this regard shows that the abuse of carrying food is associated with a worse diet, greater body fat and a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes in adults.However, people of legal age are not the only ‘recipients’ of this type of food.

That is, what about children?Well, according to a new study carried out by researchers from the San Jorge University of London (United Kingdom), it exceeds consumption of this form of food has equally dire consequences for minors, especially an increase in risk factors for risk ofcardiovascular pathologies and diabetes.

As Angela Donin, director of this research published in the magazine "Archives of Disease in Childhood" explains, "our results suggest that a greater increase in the consumption of 'carrying food', as well as in the direct advertising that nourishes this growth,You will have, most likely, adverse consequences for public health, so measures must be taken to discourage it ».

excess calories

In the study, the authors had the participation of 1,948 English children with ages between 9 and 10 years and who answered different questionnaires about their eating habits - including the 'origin' of their meals and the frequency with which they consumed'food to carry.And what they did was evaluate their height, weight, waist perimeter, thickness of skin folds, percentage of body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

The results showed that up to 555 of the participants - this is, 28% of the total - consumed food to take at least once a week.A percentage that was established by 46% –894 children - in the case of those who resorted to these meals less than once a week and in 26% –499 minors - in those who claimed that the consumption of food for food forCarrying in their homes was 'null' or 'very uncommon'.And also, that taking this type of food was more common in boys than in girls.

The highest cholesterol levels associated with meals to carry are enough to increase the risk of ischemic heart disease by 10%.

At this point, the frequency in the consumption of food to carry, did you have any consequence on the health of minors?Well yes.And although all participants showed very similar blood pressure and resistance levels, the percentage of body fat, the thickness of the cutaneous folds and the levels of cholesterol were greater in those who consumed food to carryassiduity.

More;Foods included in carrying food had a higher energy density - they were much richer in fat - and a lower amount of protein, starch, vitamin C, iron, calcium and folates.Consequently, the authors point out, «Children with the greatest consumption of this type of food usually ingest too many calories and less vitamins and minerals than those who eat food cooked at home.Thus, and to stay over time, this dietary pattern could induce the appearance of health problems ».

BetterPrevent

So, can it be affirmed with total roundness that food to carry damage the health of minors?Well no.It is an observational study, so conclusions of the type ‘cause and effect’ cannot be drawn.Therefore, more research is required to analyze this possible association.Be that as it may, Angela Donin Alert, "the highest levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol or 'bad cholesterol' observed in the group with a frequent consumption of food to carry are enough to increase around 10% the risk of developmentin the long term of ischemic heart disease ».

As the authors conclude, «in the United Kingdom, the consumption of 'carrying food' increased by more than 25% only in the period 1996-2006, a pattern of behavior that has been facilitated with the arrival of applications or 'app 'and services dedicated to home food.The Government should consider initiatives for the protection of health that reverse the trend in the consumption of ‘leading food’, efforts that would improve child nutrition both in homes and in schools ».