HHS HealthBeat (May 07, 2007)

Timing eating and fast food

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Getting teens to stop gobbling fast food might not stop them from piling up calories from the stuff.  A researcher tried it.

Cara Ebbeling of Children’s Hospital Boston gave overweight teens chicken nuggets, fries and cola three ways. It was all together as one meal, divided into four portions but served as one meal, or divided into four portions that were presented 15 minutes apart.

Ebbeling says time and portions didn’t matter – any way the teens got it, they got half their daily calories from that meal.

She recommends teens avoid high-calorie fast food:

``It is best to choose more healthful options that are now available on most menus, such as salads and milk.’’ (7 seconds)

The study in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ journal Pediatrics was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May, 07 2007