A national study has been conducted recently and it shows that consumption of food from fast food establishments is linked to the decrease in test scores of children in school.
The researchers were said to be from Ohio State University and they had a sample population of 11,700 children to see how the consumption of fast food products affect the performance of children in their classrooms.
The study lasted for three years as they measure how often children at age ten ate fast food products then compared the numbers to the test results in math, reading and science.
The researcher then found out that academic test results declined and that those who did not eat any fast food had 20 percent higher scores than those who ate daily or habitually in the said establishments.
The researchers also pointed out that the results were still true even after they looked at other factors possibly affecting the test scores of their sample population. They looked at the following factors: other eating habits, environment or neighborhood they are in, schools, fitness and socioeconomic status.
The researchers said in a statement that their results show the consistent link between the fast food consumption and the academic growth of the children they have been studying. More than half of the sample population consumed fast food once to thrice a week and nearly three quarters ate fast food once a week.
In a different study, American children from two years old to 11 eat or drink something from the fast foods every day. The study was conducted back in 2008 and it showed that fast food products account to around 13 percent of the total calories needed by children and teenagers around the United States.
The researchers added that fast food products has at least a part of why children have performance gaps but they noted that they still need to study about their theory more.
