Junk food linked to 40% rise in childhood asthma and eczema, say scientists

Eating more than three portions of junk food each week could lead to an increased risk of childhood asthma and eczema, say researchers.

The data, from more than 500,000 children in over 50 countries suggests that poor dietary habits may be the cause of increasing levels of allergy-related conditions such as asthma and eczema in children and adolescents.

Writing in the BMJs Thorax journal, the international team of researchers reveal that young teenagers in particular are nearly 40% more likely to have severe asthma if they consume common junk foods that are high in levels of sugars and fats more than three times a week.

For children aged six to seven the risk increased by 27%, said the researchers led by Professor Innes Asher, from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and Prof Hywel Williams, from the University of Nottingham in the UK.

"If the associations between fast foods and the symptom prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema is causal, then the findings have major public health significance owing to the rising consumption of fast foods globally," they said.

Junk food consumption was also found to be linked with severeeczemaand rhinitis, said Asher and his colleagues.

However, the team added that eating fruit appeared to offer protection for young people with those consuming more than three portions a week reducing the severity of their symptoms by 11% among teenagers and 14% among younger children.

Research details

The study findings are as the result of a large collaborative project called the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), which involves nearly 2 million children in more than 100 countries, making it the biggest of its kind.

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Junk food linked to 40% rise in childhood asthma and eczema, say scientists