How Eating Fast Food Affects Teen Health

Teens in the United States are eating more fast food today than they were a decade ago. The trend is not only having a negative effect on their current health but their future health as well. 

This article will go over what caregivers should know about the link between fast food and weight gain in teens.

How Much Fast Food Do Teens Eat?

Physically, nutrition is a key way to support a teen's growing body. Adolescence is also a key point for establishing health-supporting habits that teens will take with them through the rest of their lives.

For teens with an active lifestyle and an overall nutritious diet, occasionally going to the drive-thru with friends or having pizza with teammates after a big game is not likely to lead to weight gain.

However, many teens regularly eat fast food—it may even be a cornerstone of their diet.

In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated statistics on fast food consumption by children and teens in the United States. The report showed that:

• About one-third of teens eat fast food on any given day
• 13% of teens get 25%-45% of their total daily calories from fast food
• Female teens got more daily calories from fast food than teenaged boys (18.5% vs. 14.9%, respectively)
• Non-Hispanic Black (21.5%) and Hispanic teens (18.5%) eat more fast food daily than their non-Hispanic peers (14.8%)

Fast Food, Weight Gain, and Teen Health

Being overweight or having obesity at any age can negatively affect a person’s health. For example, excess weight can lead to insulin resistance—a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

There are many factors that contribute to weight gain in childhood and adolescence. 

One reason that teens may gain more weight than they need to during these years is that they’re eating a lot of fast food. A single fast-food meal can contain enough calories to meet a person’s caloric requirement for an entire day.

While one fast food meal on occasion is not enough to make a teen gain weight if they are having the meals most of the time, the excess calories will quickly add up.

Calories and Nutrition

It's true that teens often need more calories than children (or even adults) to support their growth, but it's best that these extra calories come from nutrient-rich food sources, not highly processed fast food. 

In addition to being high-calorie, most fast-food favorites are also:

• High in fat (especially saturated fat and trans fat)
• High in carbohydrates
• High in added sugar
• High in salt (sodium)
• High in cholesterol
• Made with preservatives, additives, and other ingredients
• Low in fiber, micronutrients, and macronutrients

Understanding Risks

Fast food and any weight gain that may come from eating it frequently can have serious effects on teens' physical and emotional well-being.

Physical Health

Along with high-calorie meals, eating a diet that's high in saturated fat, added sugar, and cholesterol contributes to weight gain. Over time, the extra weight contributes to a teen's risk for several health conditions.

While high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar might seem like "grown-up" health problems, young people can develop them, too. A teen's diet plays a role in their risk of developing these conditions, but it can also be a way to prevent or reverse them.

It's important that teens understand that even if they don't have a health condition right now, it doesn't mean they won't develop one in the future.

It can be hard for teens to think far ahead, but they need to know that these factors are connected in meaningful ways—for example, the link between high blood pressure and heart disease.

Teens also need to understand that having a family history of certain conditions can increase their risk and that the choices they make about their diet and lifestyle might help lower these risks.

Mental Health

Many teens experience changes in their body image, which can be negative at times. Some teens develop eating disorders.

Gaining weight—be it from frequently eating fast food or another reason—is sometimes a trigger for these challenges. 

Weight stigma can deeply affect a person’s self-image. Whether they feel judged by family, friends, or even strangers on social media, teens face a lot of scrutiny about how they look.

For some teens, the pressure leads them to develop disordered eating. Behaviors like binging and purging; over-exercising, fad dieting, and restricting how much they eat to try to lose weight can have serious, even life-threatening, physical and mental health consequences.

There are safe ways for teens to lose weight if doing so would support their health. Working with their provider and a dietician can be a good first step to getting to and maintaining a weight that helps them feel physically and mentally at their best. 

Educating Teens About Nutrition

If you're a caregiver for a teen, you can support them by modeling a healthy relationship with food, providing them with nutritious snacks and meals; and encouraging them to be active.

You'll both benefit from learning about nutrition together, which includes talking about the realities of fast food.

That said, it's not helpful to say that any food is "bad." You don't want to send your teen the message that it's never OK to have fast food. Instead, you can help them learn how to make healthy choices and really enjoy the occasions when they have fast food.

Today, many fast-food places have made it easier for their customers to make informed decisions about what they order.

For example, you'll find calorie counts and nutrition information on a lot of menu boards or can easily get this information online.

In recent years, fast-food restaurants also have made efforts to offer options for people with all kinds of dietary needs and preferences. For example:

• Grilled chicken instead of fried
• Meatless, plant-based burgers
• Gluten-free buns and pasta
• Fries without salt and oil
• Fruit sides instead of desserts
• Smaller portions or half-size entrees
• Dressing and condiments on the side

Talking to your child about which options on a fast-food menu would offer the most nutritional "bang for their buck" will help them feel empowered to make more nutritious choices on their own.

Summary

Enjoying fast food in moderation can be part of a healthful eating pattern, especially when you're able to make more informed choices.

That said, many teens eat fast food often. These high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sugar meals and snacks are one of many factors that contribute to weight gain.

Extra weight can contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar, which in turn raises a teen's risk for health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

While it's true that growing teens may need more calories, they should get them from nutrient-dense foods.

Helping your teen learn to make educated choices about what they eat and encouraging them to be active will give them healthful habits for a lifetime.