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Hold The Fries: Science Says Fast Food Is Depressing!
By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 2, 2012
Modified Apr 2, 2012
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 2, 2012
Modified Apr 2, 2012
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Happy Meals, a misnomer? Unpossible! And yet. According to a study out of Spain there is a notable connection between depression and the consumption of fast food. As in, the more you eat the worse you feel—and the worse you feel, the more you eat! To be explicit: "The more fast food you consume, the greater the risk of depression," the lead author of the study, Almudena Sánchez-Villegas, says. Also, people who eat fast food are more likely to live alone, smoke and work too much. Remind you of anyone?
According to the study, which followed 8,964 Spaniards who had never been diagnosed with depression or taken antidepressants, isn't just fast food that'll bring you down:
The results also showed that those participants who ate the most fast food and commercial baked goods were more likely to be single, less active and have poor dietary habits (eating less fruit, nuts, fish, vegetables and olive oil). It was also common for individuals in this group to smoke and work over 45 hours per week.
The study, which is actually a year old, has since been further backed up by another bit of research. So be forewarned: "Even eating small quantities is linked to a significantly higher chance of developing depression," Sánchez-Villegas says. Otherwise, you might just end up like Fat Bastard, or a certain character on a highly regarded AMC television show:
Tagged
depression
fast food
science
spain
study
Garth Johnston
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