Why does this sound suspect?
Potato chips
The food industry has its tentacles around us all, with advertising, market research and trade associations galore. Which is why a snippet the other day caught my eye. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a piece saying that teens who snack were found to be less likely to be obese than other teens. The article sounded legit, and there is such a journal. But are we to believe that teen snacks are all healthy fruit and vegetables, or that the Snack Food Association, an international trade group, wasn’t somehow behind this? I’m asking nutritionist friends what they think, and looking for more data. Where’s Michael Pollan when you need him?
Judy Phillips Said,
July 8, 2010 @ 8:45 am
These findings don’t surprise me, given the experience I have had with overweight teens. It is quite possible that the ones who did not snack were “fasters and bingers”..they go without eating most of the day, and then it is one long meal in the late afternoon/early evening. The other possible explanation is that “normal weight” teens are more likely to respond to intrinsic hunger and satiety signals, whereas those who are overweight are stimulated by extrinsic or other factors. It is easy to over ride the signals, i.e. ignore the hunger or satiety signals, but then other stimuli will create the urge to eat. Interesting studies done on external stimuli and unconcious eating, in overweight people.