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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Living in foggy, smoke-filled cities can get kids to eat fatty foods, just like adults, a new study says.
The researchers say that high levels of particles emitted by power plants and exhaust systems are associated with an increased risk of adopting a high fat diet of 34%.
They also found that increasing these levels further encouraged people to dine at fast food restaurants rather than at home.
The reason for this phenomenon is unclear, but experts say it could be related to pollutants that alter how our body absorbs energy from food, resulting in lower blood sugar levels and hunger.
Whatever the reason, the research team at the University of Southern California says reducing urban air pollution levels in the US could be a way to reduce the spread of obesity. of the American population.
The researchers examined data from 3,100 children enrolled in a study of children's health conducted at the University of California, which focused on the long-term effects of air pollution on children's respiratory systems between 1993 and 1994. Participants were followed for four to eight years.
Children responded to annual questionnaires about their diets, including specific foods and the number of times they ate them.
Meanwhile, researchers measured air pollutants, including from power plants and car exhaust, and also determined the concentration of the population in which the participants live.
The researchers found that more exposure of children to air pollutants, particularly due to traffic, increased the likelihood of dependence on a diet rich in unsaturated fatty acids.
The researchers found that the higher NO2 levels, for example, 12.2 ppm, the more children had a 34% chance of eating foods high in unsaturated fatty acids.
High exposure to nitrogen and carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels was associated with increased consumption of junk food.
"Given the speed with which the brain matures during childhood and adolescence, environmental factors can have long-term effects on the brain and behavior," said Dr. Zhanghua Chen, research associate. at the Keck School of Medicine.
Scientists believe that breathing contaminants can cause inflammation in the body, that the particles irritate the alveoli and small flexible cells in the lungs and cause oxidative stress that triggers hormones. According to Dr. Michael Mosley.
The new study adds to the many researches on the adverse effects of air pollution on human health, including living in smoky cities increases by 40% the risk of studying the mouth cancer in humans.
Source: Daily Mail
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