Junk food is often viewed as the reason behind the obesity epidemic in the U.S. However, a new study conducted by researchers from the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab found that junk food is not the primary reason for obesity, HealthDay reported.
The researchers said that, contrary to popular belief, junk food, fast food and soda did not influence the BMI of those who consumed them. Instead, people gained weight not because they ate junk food, but because they ate too much food overall.
For the study, the researchers investigated the eating patterns of a nationally representative sample of American adults. They discovered that for 95 percent of the study participants, consuming junk food, fast food and soda did not influence body mass index (BMI), except for those who were either chronically underweight and extremely obese.
Lead study author David Just, co-director of the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics, said that the results of the study showed "no relationship between how much fast food and junk food they're eating and their weight." He said that with the bad eating habits of Americans, "just eliminating junk food is not going to do anything."
"This means that diets and health campaigns aimed at reducing and preventing obesity may be off track if they hinge on demonizing specific foods," Just said in a press release. He explained that people need to reduce their total food consumption and to exercise more in order to fight obesity.
The researchers clarified that their study findings do not mean eating junk food has no negative effect on one's health.
"These [junk] foods aren't good for you," Just said. "There is no good argument for soda in your diet."
Adjusting overall diet and getting more physical activity are key to fighting the obesity epidemic, the researchers emphasized.
"If we want real change we need to look at the overall diet, and physical activity. Narrowly targeting junk foods is not just ineffective, it may be self-defeating as it distracts from the real underlying causes of obesity," Just said.
The study was published in the journal Obesity Science & Practice.
