According to an international study conducted by researchers from Germany, Spain and Britain of 50,000 children across the world, kids who eat more 3 or more burgers a week are likely to be more prone to asthma and wheezing.
It was also found that this link was stronger in developed nations like the USA and UK. According to Gabriele Nagel from the Institute of Epidemiology at Ulm University, Germany, who led the study, this suggests that the association is not directly to the food itself, but to the lifestyle in these countries, where high levels of junk food are more common. To this, there appears to be a link to other factors such as obesity and lack of exercise among children, thus leading to lower levels of fitness, breathlessness and wheezing.
In the UK, about 1.1 million children are receiving treatment for asthma, while the numbers are the highest in the US, with around 10 million children affected. At the same time, 8.9% of the total number of Singaporean school-going children has been diagnosed with asthma.
On the other hand, it was discovered that healthy diets comprising of high levels of fruits, vegetables, and fish appears to decrease the risk of children becoming asthmatic. This is due to the antioxidants and vitamins in such foods which have been associated with better lung function.
Nagel’s team looked at data on 50,000 children aged between 8 and 12 years from 20 rich and poor countries around the world.