Fast Food Consumption Drift in Pakistani Population

Abstract

Objective: To appraise the use of various fast foods in different age groups among males and females and study its drift in Pakistani population. Method: The study was conducted from February to June 2013 in Karachi, Pakistan on a structured questionnaire. A total of n=489 individuals participated in this study among which n= 222 were males and n= 267 were females whose ages were grouped as <18 years, 18-40 years and >40 years. Fast food was categorized as fries, burgers, rolls, chicken broast and pizza whereas fibrous and vegetable diet included all vegetables in this study. Different types of diseases i.e. diabetes, asthma, hypertension, allergy, GI disorders and skin infections were also enquired about from the respondents consuming fast food. Result: The diet comprising fast food is high in energy and energy density. Fast food consumption has been reported to go along with large amounts of soft drinks which not only augments the weight of the individuals but also put them at danger to different kinds of ailments. In our study, both the genders were reported to take fast food on weekly basis, highest consumed in the age group of 18-40 years. Most popular fast food consumed among the females (n=63) was fries + burger and that in males (n=69) was more than one type of fast food. The consumption of cold drinks with fast food was seen more in males (n=105) than in females (n=90) and mostly in the age group of 18-40 years (males n=72 and females n=45). The consumption of fast food more than one time was observed more in the males. Both the genders belonged to age group of 18-40 years who exercised regularly. The frequency of use of fibrous/vegetable diet was higher in females (n=90) as compared to the male gender (n=117) in the age group of 18-40 years (p=0.033, χ 2 = 8.706). It was observed that the increase in weight was more in females under 18 years of age and more in males of age 18-40 years. It was also found that overall (n=72) males and (n=81) females were suffering from various diseases and yet were consuming fast food. Conclusion: Frequent fast food consumption may contribute to weight gain and with a sedentary life style can put the individuals at stake of different kinds of diseases and high health burden. Knowledge regarding healthy diet and healthy life style can contribute towards a society of people with better productivity and economy.

Factors influencing Iranian consumers’ attitudes toward fast-food consumption

“…Health consciousness is health/nutrition awareness and knowledge which refers to the degree of readiness to undertake health actions (Becker and Maiman, 1975) that influence health attitudes and behaviors (Iversen and Kraft, 2006). As mentioned previously, health consciousness has a prominent effect on consumers’ attitudes (Jahan et al , 2014). Therefore, this factor was assessed in this study using four-scale items, including: “I do not want to eat fast-food because it has high calories,” “I do not want to eat fast-food as its consumption causes an imbalance in weight,” “I do not want to use fast-food as it can be one of the reasons for high cholesterol,” and “I do not want to eat fast-food because it has a lot of preservatives.” Participants rated their agreement to each item on a five-point scale (ranging from “1: fully disagree” to “5: fully agree”).…”

“…Mattsson and Helmersson (2007) concluded that Swedish high school students generally have information about all aspects of fast-food, meaning that they possess awareness of the negative side effects of fast-food, and accordingly pay more attention to nutritional and health concerns than price, speed, and convenience. Jahan et al (2014) conducted a study among Pakistan consumers, showing that frequent fast-food consumption can be influenced via health consciousness of fast-food. Others have studied the relationship between subjective norm and rate of fast-food consumption, concluding that subjective norms is one of the important factors that affect fast-food intake (Astrom and Rise, 2001; Bissonnette and Contento, 2001; Seo et al , 2011).…”

Common Cancers in Karachi, Pakistan: 2010-2019 Cancer Data from the Dow Cancer Registry

“…8,[13][14][15] While this cancer has traditionally been prevalent in developed countries, its high prevalence in Pakistan is alarming and may have been caused by increasing adaptation to westernized diet and life style in Pakistan. 23 We report non melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) amongst the top cancers in both genders in Karachi. Since Karachi is located nearer to the equator (latitude 24.8 º N and longitude 67.1 o E) as compared to other parts of Pakistan, it is possible that its proximity to the equator imposes higher risk of developing skin cancers in Karachi.…”

“… 8 , 13 - 15 While this cancer has traditionally been prevalent in developed countries, its high prevalence in Pakistan is alarming and may have been caused by increasing adaptation to westernized diet and life style in Pakistan. 23 …”

Karachi Cancer Registry (KCR): Age-Standardized Incidence Rate by Age-Group and Gender in a Mega City of Pakistan

“…This cancer is thought to be historically more common in western population whose diet is rich in fat and red meat and low in fiber (Yaha et al, 2013). This is alarming and points an adversity of globalization with increasing consumption of fast and junk food including smoked red meat (Jahan et al, 2014).…”