Hint: it’s fast food. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study found that over a 3-year period 11.3 percent of calories came from fast food.
That surprises no one. There were, however, two interesting points made:
First, while adults have decreased their intake of fast food, consumption by youth has increased. As consumption of fast food declines with age, it is not clear to me whether the decline is true progress or related to the aging of the population.
The second takeaway from the study is more intriguing, as shown in the following summary of study findings:
I have highlighted the finding at the bottom of the graphic.
When it comes to fast food: the more you eat, the more you gain; the more you gain, the more you eat.
If someone told you that the more heroin, opium, etc. you consume the more you want, you would not be surprised.
Are you as surprised as I am to find a study that shows the same is true of fast food?
Since we regulate addictive drugs, there is an argument to be made that addictive substances consumed as food could be regulated as well. I do not know what that regulation should consist of, only that we have a tradition of regulating addictive substances, assuming that the individual is incapable of self-regulation in the face of addiction.
As is frequently the case, the questions that arise are more intriguing and clear than the answers.
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