Study finds link between fast food consumption, Type 2 diabetes

NEW YORK Curbing one's intake of high-calorie fast foods may reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to the Dec. 16, 2009, edition of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The new research, which reviewed fast food consumption, lifestyle habits, and the development of diabetes in 44,072 black women who filled out biennial questionnaires since 1995, suggested that compared with women who claimed, in 1995 and again in 2001, to never eat fast foods, those who ate burgers, fried chicken or fish, or Chinese food more than once a week had higher body mass index on average.

According to Julie R. Palmer, M.D., of Boston University and lead author of the study, the BMI of such women, who fell in the 28 to 29 range, also gained more weight during the course of the study.

A normal, healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9.

Researchers also noted that the results indicated that associated weight gain that comes with eating too much fast food explains most of the diabetes cases.

Of the study sample, 2,873 women developed diabetes over 10 years.