No Surprise: U Research Shows American Diet of Burgers, Fries and Pop is Unhealthy: Meat, Fried Foods Raise Health Risks, Study Finds

By Jeremy Olson, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

Jan. 23–If lunch today is a double cheeseburger, french fries and a Diet Coke — or anything you can order as the No. 12 — then the University of Minnesota has bad news for you.

Even two servings of red or processed meat per day — like two burger patties — increase by 25 percent the risk of metabolic syndrome, a term that refers to a cluster of common heart and health problems. Add fried foods and soda pop to the daily diet, and the risk increases as well, according to U research published this week in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

The results aren’t surprising — who doesn’t know that fried foods aren’t healthful? — but they are meaningful, said Lyn Steffen, co-author and associate professor of epidemiology. They remind the public, yet again, to stick to the U.S. dietary guidelines for food groups and portion sizes.

“This is not new,” she said. “It’s the same old, same old stuff. In effect, that’s good. Our message isn’t changing. You know nutrition (research) has gotten kind of a bad rap. One week we say this, and the next week we say that. This is the same message.”

Metabolic syndrome is defined as having three or more of the following measurable conditions: obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high levels of triglycerides and low levels of good cholesterol. It’s basically a calling card for diabetes and/or heart disease in the future.

The study tracked the food intake of 9,514 Americans, ages 45 to 64 at the start, over nine

years. They lived in Minnesota, Maryland, Mississippi and North Carolina, providing a representative sample of white and black Americans.

By study’s end, 40 percent of the people had three or more risk factors.

The study compared people several ways, including their adherence to a Western diet high in processed meat, refined grains, fried foods, eggs and soda pop. The risk of metabolic syndrome was 18 percent higher in this group, even after adjusting for differences in race, sex, tobacco use and exercise patterns.

People who drank diet pop had higher risk rates than those who drank regular high-sugar sodas, according to the study. The difference may not be in the drinks themselves, Steffen said, but rather the people who drink them. Diet soda drinkers, for example, may be compensating for other less healthful foods.

An advantage of the study was that it used real-world diets, but this also created limitations. There appeared to be little difference among the participants in how much fruit and whole-grain foods they consumed. That made it difficult to determine whether these healthy foods actually discouraged metabolic syndrome.

High consumption of dairy foods and coffee predicted a lower risk of the syndrome, though.

Steffen said people need to control the amount they eat in addition to what they eat. Restaurants make it difficult with their growing portion sizes, she added, especially in Minnesota where a common mantra growing up is to clean your plate.

“Do we really need huge muffins?” she asked. “Do we need 4- and 5-inch-diameter cookies?”

Jeremy Olson can be reached at jolson@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5583.

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