How Bad Are French Fries?

Has it ever happened to you that you started eating French fries and couldn’t stop? You are not the only one. Very few people can resist French fries and this has a scientific basis.

In recent years, it has been shown that consuming potato chips can be quite addictive. In fact, a University of Michigan study found that highly processed foods like French fries, pizza, and chocolate are among the most addictive foods.

Therefore, those who are used to these foods could not abandon those habits overnight, they would have to go through a real process first. Next, we explain why this kind of food is harmful in the diet.

French fries and being overweight

A study published in 2014 in the British Medical Journal , suggests that there may be a relationship between overweight and fried food consumption in people with a certain genetic predisposition to overweight.

Now, it is possible to infer that since it is a fried food with addictive potential, the consumption of fried potatoes could generate weight gain due not only to the fats in frying, but also to the salt with which they are consumed (the excess sodium may influence fluid retention) and portion sizes eaten.

So what would make a person feel the need to continue eating even when they are satisfied? Research published in Current Opinion in Gastroenterology , indicates that carbohydrates, sweets, fats and processed foods have a greater potential for addiction than others. This is because they would stimulate the areas of the brain that are related to pleasure.

Likewise, this study indicates that there are other foods, such as chocolate, that also raise levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter related to pleasure.

How does eating French fries hurt us?

Frequent consumption of potato chips could lead to a serious overweight problem, which, in turn, compromises physical and mental health in many ways.

According to a study in the medical journal Obesity Reviews , excessive weight could trigger problems such as diabetes and hypertension, among others.

As we saw previously, the consumption of potato chips can become an addiction. Although it is necessary to emphasize that not all people develop this type of addiction.

It is important to find out who has it in time so that they receive the appropriate help before it is too late and they suffer from overweight or a related chronic disease.

French fries study

The study published in  The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition analyzed the data of more than 4,400 people to reach the conclusion about the consumption of this snack .

For their study, the researchers relied on data from the United States Osteoarthritis Initiative’s cohort study of more than 4,000 adults, ages 45 to 79, to examine the effects of potato consumption on mortality in an eight-year follow-up.

Throughout the study, participants filled out a food frequency questionnaire, from which data on potato intake emerged. During the 8 years that the study lasted, 236 participants died.

How can it be prevented?

The best way to prevent the problems associated with excessive consumption of potato chips is to avoid them in your diet. It is especially advisable to limit them in the feeding of children, as it is often part of many lunch boxes.

On the contrary, it is very healthy to teach them to eat fruits and natural foods. Finally, one way to prevent these disorders is by setting an example as parents and adults. In addition, it is convenient to go to the nutritionist to answer any questions.