لخّصلي

Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for the development of healthy or unhealthy dietary patterns which usually track into adulthood.We hypothesized that frequent fast-food consumption outside the home would be significantly associated with an unhealthy lifestyle profile as assessed through dietary habits, PA, sedentary activities and PF.Also, fast-food consumption has been connected to elevated intakes of unhealthy fats, sugar and salt, which contribute to high energy densities and glycaemic loads, and exposes children to unnecessarily large portion sizes.The association of sedentary lifestyle (e.g. screen time, sleeping hours), physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) with fast-food consumption has been investigated among schoolchildren; however, most studies have explored the association of each factor separately and in specific age groups.Thus, we aimed to add to the literature by the examining the frequency of fast-food consumption outside the home and the association between fast-food consumption and several lifestyle characteristics using data from a large, population-representative study in Greek schoolchildren aged 8-17 years.Poti et al. speculated that among US schoolchildren fast-food consumers had higher intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages and fried potatoes and lower intakes of vegetables, fruits and low-fat mixed dishes than non-consumers.The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, nuts and olive oil.On the other hand, poor dietary habits may predispose to the development of type 2 diabetes, CVD, obesity and decreased immunity, even in schoolchildren.Previous studies focusing on the association between obesity status and fast-food intake in children and adolescents reported inconsistent results.A fast food is defined as '[an] easily prepared processed food served in snack bars and restaurants as a quick meal or to be taken away'; snacks and canned foods may also categorized as fast foods.It is considered that frequent (more than twice weekly) fast-food consumption is strongly associated with adverse health outcomes (e.g. type 2 diabetes, obesity, dyslipidaemia).A review study concluded that high consumption of fast foods was associated with increased risk of development of CVD and metabolic syndrome.Moreover, recent reports from fifth grade students suggested that increased fast-food consumption may correlate with lower levels of academic achievement.Numerous studies have shown that this type of diet has advantageous effects against cardiovascular, metabolic and mental diseases.Fast foods are often served in large portions and contain high levels of energy, fat, salt and sugar, along with low levels of fibre and micronutrients.

Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for the development of healthy or unhealthy dietary patterns which usually track into adulthood. The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, nuts and olive oil. Numerous studies have shown that this type of diet has advantageous effects against cardiovascular, metabolic and mental diseases. On the other hand, poor dietary habits may predispose to the development of type 2 diabetes, CVD, obesity and decreased immunity, even in schoolchildren. A fast food is defined as ‘[an] easily prepared processed food served in snack bars and restaurants as a quick meal or to be taken away’; snacks and canned foods may also categorized as fast foods. Fast foods are often served in large portions and contain high levels of energy, fat, salt and sugar, along with low levels of fibre and micronutrients. Poti et al. speculated that among US schoolchildren fast-food consumers had higher intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages and fried potatoes and lower intakes of vegetables, fruits and low-fat mixed dishes than non-consumers. It is considered that frequent (more than twice weekly) fast-food consumption is strongly associated with adverse health outcomes (e.g. type 2 diabetes, obesity, dyslipidaemia). A review study concluded that high consumption of fast foods was associated with increased risk of development of CVD and metabolic syndrome. Also, fast-food consumption has been connected to elevated intakes of unhealthy fats, sugar and salt, which contribute to high energy densities and glycaemic loads, and exposes children to unnecessarily large portion sizes. Moreover, recent reports from fifth grade students suggested that increased fast-food consumption may correlate with lower levels of academic achievement. Previous studies focusing on the association between obesity status and fast-food intake in children and adolescents reported inconsistent results. The association of sedentary lifestyle (e.g. screen time, sleeping hours), physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) with fast-food consumption has been investigated among schoolchildren; however, most studies have explored the association of each factor separately and in specific age groups.

To the best of our knowledge, the relationship between fast-food consumption and the lifestyle profile in Greek school-age children and adolescents is missing. Thus, we aimed to add to the literature by the examining the frequency of fast-food consumption outside the home and the association between fast-food consumption and several lifestyle characteristics using data from a large, population-representative study in Greek schoolchildren aged 8–17 years. We hypothesized that frequent fast-food consumption outside the home would be significantly associated with an unhealthy lifestyle profile as assessed through dietary habits, PA, sedentary activities and PF.