The International Conference Hradec Economic Days 2011 Economic Development and Management of Regions Hradec Králové, February 1 st and 2 nd, 2011 Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceedings Part II. Hradec Králové Gaudeamus 2011
FAST FOOD PRODUCTS AND OBESITY A STUDY BASED ON OPINIONS OF STUDENTS OF PRIMARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN DOLNOŚLĄSKIE VOIVODSHIP Anna Kowalska Wroclaw University of Economics anna.kowalska@ue.wroc.pl Keywords obesity - fast food products Abstract: Poles more and more often dine out. The most frequently mentioned reasons of this situation are: higher incomes, staying at work for many hours, and spending leisure time out of home. Fast food bars gained particular popularity and found many customers not only among children and youth, but also among adults. The food offered by fast food bars, which is intended to be consumed as a snack, is treated by many people as the main meal. Introduction Recently in many countries there is observed an upward trend in the consumption of processed food, which is culinary prepared to a high extend and requires only minimal processing before using. A consumer spends less and less time for preparing meals in a traditional way at home. This typical function of a household is taken over by highly processed food and different catering establishments. Recently, in many countries and also in Poland, fast food establishments underwent dynamic organizational and technical changes, particularly with respect to popularisation of modern solution models in the scope of furnishings, service systems, technology, work organization, etc. This process began in the first half of the 1990s and is constantly evolving, which is proved both by the experience from the world market and the successful development of chains of international fast food corporations in Poland. The most popular fast food restaurants include: McDonald's (which at the end of 2009 had 245 restaurants, including 105 franchise restaurants run by 50 franchisees, 170 McDrive restaurants, 6 locations at motorways, and 22 restaurants with a McCafé outlet) and the AmRest company which operates several premium brands, such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Burger King, and currently has over 150 establishments. Sfinks and Telepizza companies are popular as well. The goal, research materials and methodology The surveys were conducted on a sample of 8,684 school students, aged 10-15, attending 134 primary and middle schools located in Dolnośląskie voivodship A 155
purposive sampling method with the use of the quota sampling technique was adopted for the study. One of the goals of the study was to determine the degree of students' interest in consumption of fast food products, the frequency of consumption of such products, and the dependence of the consumption on the gender, age and financial situation of families of the surveyed students. Fast food products and obesity The popularity of fast food products, such as hamburgers, pizza, French fries, etc., is observed first of all among children and youth, although some adults are also somehow addicted to them to a considerable degree. The main reasons of consumption of such products include: the willingness, or rather the need to reduce the time spent for cooking meals in a traditional way at home, wider and wider range of products offered in fast food restaurants and bars, as well as the omnipresent promotion and advertising, which recently have an increasing impact on the diet of average people. Although the relationship between the consumption of fast food meals in the society and the obesity index has not been conclusively determined by any longterm epidemiological studies, it can be noted that in all locations covered by fast food restaurant chains, there is an increase in the number of obese or overweight people. In the United States of America as much as 50% of adults are overweight, 30% are considered to be obese, and almost 1/4 of American children are overweight or obese. American children consume about 1/4 of their vegetable meals in the form of chips and French Fries. Obesity affects not only Americans but also the British or Frenchmen, who in the latest ranking were among the top ten countries with the population characterized by the highest overweight in the world. Currently, the British eat more fast food than any other nation in Western Europe. They have also the highest rate of obesity among adults. In Germany, every fifth child is too fat and in Japan, along with a rapid growth in fast food sales, the obesity among children doubled. On the other hand, people are much less obese in Italy and Spain, where expenditures on fast food products are relatively low [3]. In Poland, a dozen or so years had passed since the time, when first fast food restaurants appeared. Researches show that over half (52%) of customers of fast food restaurants eat there driven by a sudden impulse. This concerns first of all children and teenagers, because many surprises, such as balloons, toys and playgrounds, are waiting for them in such places [2]. In Poland, only few analytical studies concerning the nutritional value of fast food products have been conducted so far. However, they draw attention to the fact that the freshness, appearance, smell and taste of many such products do not go hand in hand with their nutritional value (Fig. 1). The quantity and quality of fats found in such products and their share in the coverage of the daily demand for energy provoke most controversy. Such products contain too much fat - predominately saturated fats. 156
Fig. 1. The energy structure in the selected fast food products 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% proteins fats carbohydrates Big Mac Mc Royal Fish Mac Cheesburger Hamburger Medium French fries Source: prepared on the basis of [4] Most fast food products also include unsaturated fatty acids, and in many cases also unsaturated fatty acids in the trans configuration. It is worth recalling that in accordance with the recommendations of FAO/WHO, the amount of energy from fat should not exceed 30% of the total energy from the daily food ration [1]. In many cases fast food products are deficient in protein, complex carbohydrates and minerals: calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins. The content of nutrients in the selected fast food products is shown in Table 1. Table 1. The calorific value and content of nutrients in 1 portion of fast food products Product name Kcal KJ Protein Carbohydrates Fats Calcium Magnesium Cholesterol (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (mg) Big Mac MT 486 2036 25.2 42.8 23.8 0.119 0.031 85 Mc Royal MT 512 2144 29.9 36.7 27.3 0.159 0.040 70 Fish Mac MT 382 1597 14.2 36.7 19.8 0.114 0.021 50 Cheeseburger 294 1233 15.3 31.5 11.8 0.143 0.021 45 Hamburger 245 1031 12.5 30.8 8.0 0.090 0.019 30 Small French fries 192 803 2.4 24.3 9.4 0.007 0.016 0 Medium French fries 273 1145 3.5 34.7 13.4 0.011 0.023 0 Large French fries 383 1605 4.9 48.7 18.8 0.015 0.033 0 Source: own study based on [4] Therefore, when composing meals from fast food" products, it is necessary to include some vegetable additions in the form of salads and to remember that fast food products should be consumed only occasionally, and not be a basis of daily meals. 157
Consumption of fast food products by school students in Dolnośląskie voivodship Fast food products are very popular, especially among children and youth. About 2.6% of all surveyed students ate such products every day. However, as much as 18.6% of all respondents consumed fast food products a few times a week. It follows that fast food products became a regular component of the menu for every fifth student in primary and middle schools (Fig. 2). Fig.2. Frequency of consumption of fast food products in Dolnośląskie voivodship per gender [%] % 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 girls boys total 0 daily a few times a week a few times a month less frequently not at all Source: own study based on surveys From Fig. 2 it can be concluded that boys consumed such products more often than girls: every fourth boy and every sixth girl ate fast food at least a few times a week. A larger group of respondents consumed such products a few times a month (about 40%) or less frequently (over 35%). The age of the surveyed students had also an influence on the consumption of fast food products (Fig. 3). Fig. 3. The frequency of consumption of fast food products in Dolnośląskie voivodship per age groups [%] % 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 daily a few times a week a few times a month less frequently or not at all from 11 12 13 14 15 and more years Source: own study based on surveys 158
Students aged 12 and 13 declared consumption of such products most frequently - every fourth among them ate fast food at least a few times a week, and 3.1% of them ate fast food every day. Most fourteen-year-old students (43.3%) declared consumption of such products a few times a month. Youth aged 15 and older (2.1%) constituted the least numerous group among the students eating fast food products every day. The differences between the surveyed groups were not significant. The financial situation of families had also an influence on the frequency of consumption of such products (Fig. 4). Fig. 4. Frequency of consumption of fast food products in Dolnośląskie voivodship per source of livelihood of students' families [%] % two permanent sources of income one permanent source of income 60 lack of permanent sources of income lack of any sources of income 50 40 30 20 10 0 daily a few times a week a few times a month less frequently not at all Source: own study based on surveys The largest share of students eating fast food products every day was observed among children and youth from the families where parents had a regular source of income. However, among the students from the families without any sources of income, neither declared consumption of such products every day. As much as 51.8% of students in this group consumed such products less frequently than once a month. The highest percentage of the students who did not eat such products at all (5.7%) also occurred in this group. Conclusions Fast food restaurants belong currently to the catering establishments most frequently visited both by children and adults. This situation is caused mainly by a significant increase in the prices of meals offered in traditional restaurants and the speed of serving in such restaurants as compared with fast food restaurants. Consumption of fast food products in the surveyed population depended on: 159
Sources of family income: the better material conditions, the more students dine out in fast food restaurants. It is understandable that the students' parents with high incomes often give their children pocket money. Age of the students: the most susceptible to this type of products are students aged 12-13. This may be caused by a higher availability of such products for this age group and by lower levels of parental control. The fact that the frequency of consumption of such products changes with age is associated with becoming aware of the consequences which may result from improper nutrition habits. Gender of the respondents: the share of boys, who declared consumption of fast food products every day and a few times a week, was higher than among the surveyed girls. Boys are more eager to eat processed food, as they spend many hours outside home and need a lot of energy products, which can provide a young organism with fat reserves, which will be burned on a playing field. References: [1] DANIEWSKI, M. Zawartość tłuszczu i kwasów tłuszczowych w wybranych produktach typu "fast food". "Żywienie Człowieka i Metabolizm 1997, No. 4, p. 414, ISSN 0209-164X [2] MASŁOWSKI, A. Gastronomia w Polsce. Stan obecny i perspektywy. "Przegląd Gastronomiczny" 1995, No. 9, p. 4-5, ISSN 00332118 [3] SCHLOSSER, E. Kraina fast foodów. Ciemna strona amerykańskich szybkich dań. Wydawnictwo MUZA S.A., Warszawa 2005, p. 410-430, ISBN 83-7311-586-2 [4] www.mcdonalds.pl/ 12-02-2010 160