Factors Influencing the Consumption of Fast Food among Young Adults
S. Rajini *
Department of Community Medicine, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, India.
K. Kannan
Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, India.
Tamil Selvi
Department of Community Medicine, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: The habit of consuming the fast- foods and packed foods are increased among the people in developing countries. Besides, several studies showed that the fast- food eating brings higher risks for developing the physiological imbalances such as obesity, over – weight even in younger generation. The fast foods ensure for important features such as easy availability, tastes good, convenient, and has friendly- packing than the traditional food items. Due to such kind of life style modifications, the ratio of fast – food habitats in younger and adolescents are highly increasing in compare to the older and middle aged people. The increase is inevitable in different age groups in recent years. These food habit modifications make a turn in traditional systems and attract the great attention against the public health concern.
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the factors that influence the fast-food consumption in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out to examine the preference, prevalence and pattern of fast food consumption among the young adults.
Results and Discussion: The study showed that many of the students unavoidably skipping the morning foods due to study pressure, morning – hurry and they had them at late- morning hours from the fast- foods outlets such as canteens or other hotels. Though, 90.7% of the students know the importance and negative consequences of break- fast skipping that are related to consumption of excessive fast- food habits, they have been severely addicted with the fast- foods.
Conclusion: As a conclusion, the present study showed the importance of initiating the specific health programs, dietary guidelines and effective awareness for addressing the unhealthy issues related with the fast- food consumption among the student community.
Keywords: Diet, health, food- addiction, fast foods, knowledge