February 8, 2002
		Study Links Fast Food Consumption with Adult-Onset Diabetes The largest study of its kind was recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, linking a fast-food diet with adult-onset diabetes, even if other risk factors, like obesity or heredity aren't present. The study, conducted by Harvard University researchers, compared a diet high in vegetables, fruits and grains to a typically Western diet of processed meats, French fries, dairy products and sweets. More than 42,000 men participated in the study. Those who followed a diet emphasizing high-fat foods were at a 60 percent increased risk of contacting adult-onset diabetes, also known as Type II diabetes. "The men who ate the "Western" diet were clearly at greater risk for Type II diabetes, even after we factored in obesity and exercise -- two major risk factors for this disease," says study author Dr. Frank Hu, an assistant professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. Even men who particpated in the study who were thin but ate the western diet had a higher incidence of disease. "We were able to show that, even on its own, this diet is a major risk factor," says Dr. Hu. Dr. Hu says that the new study, which compared the dietary habits of the participants over a 12-year period, offer what he says is solid proof linking the disease to one's diet. Samantha Heller, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at New York University Medical Center, says that the study reinforces what health professionals have suspected for a long time "It's nice to see the study has proven that," says Heller. The effects of the Western diet were independent of obesity, lack of physical exercise, high body mass index or family history of diabetes. These have been believed to be risk factors for Type II diabetes. "When all these factors were present in addition to the Western diet, then the risk was even higher -- but the risk still existed, even when these other factors were taken into consideration," Hu says. "Whatever the parameters, we come to the same conclusions: that whole foods, whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, and plenty of good, old-fashioned exercise will keep us healthier longer," Heller says.