ASSOCIATION OF FAST FOOD CONSUMPTION WITH OBESITY - A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY CONDUCTED AT NISHTAR HOSPITAL MULTAN, PAKISTAN

: Background: The aim of the study was to determine obesity rate in Pakistani teenagers of Multan South-Punjab Pakistan, with high amount of fast food consumption. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the month of November 2019 in Multan, Pakistan. Information was collected from teenagers of different age groups ranging from 13-19 years old. A self-structured questionnaire was designed containing four sections to gathered information from participants. BMI and %age of different variables were calculated. Results: Total no of 1000 teenagers including male 536(53.6%) and females 464(46.4%) were approached out of which 334(34.4%) were overweight having BMI=25-29.9 and 544(54.4%) were obese having BMI>30.Mostly of them were 17-year-old 425(42.5%). Obesity rate is higher both in males and females but mostly females were more prone. Conclusion: It is concluded from our study that consumption of fast food on daily basis and increased caloric intake will leads towards obesity among teenagers now a days. Obesity rate is greater in females as compared to males however both males and females were prone towards obesity due to increased consumption (thrice a day) of fast food. Other variables like residential area of participants and type of fast food eaten were also accountable in this regard.

There was no study conducted before in Multan Pakistan to find out consumption of fast food among teenagers ranging from age of 13-19-year-old. The aims of this study were to determine whether fast food adversely affects diet quality in ways that might plausibly increase risk for obesity among teenagers.

METHODOLOGY:
A cross sectional study was conducted at Nishtar Hospital Multan, Pakistan in November 2019. In which data was collected from total no of 1000 teenagers ranging from age of 13-19 years. Data was collected from 1000 teenagers residing in Multan, south-Punjab, Pakistan, the most populated city of Pakistan. Information was gathered from teenager of different age groups ranging from 13-19 years old. Participants residing in different area of Multan Pakistan were invited to take part in our survey. We asked them a set of question written in our questionnaire, containing both open and closed ended questions. Percentage of fast food intake among male and female participants and their BMI were calculated by using SPSS version 20.

RESULTS:
A total no of 1000 respondents (teenagers) were approached. Total no of male and females in our study were 536(53.6%) and 464(46.4%) respectively. Different age groups participants ranging from13 to 19 years old were take part in study. Majority of them were 17 years old (42.5%). Other %age of respondents age groups given in table 1.

DISCUSSIONS:
In this survey we found alarming situation regarding the obesity rate among teenagers. Fast food consumption becoming a fashion and easy way to eat quickly prepared food items among teenagers. Other factors like palatability and easily availability of these items also involved. In our survey we found both male and female participants were prone to obesity but mostly females (338) falls in stage 4 of BMI (refer to table 3).In accordance to the age group mostly of our participants of 17 year old were obese. Following three issues should need to be addressed. Firstly consumption of fast food on daily basis also in mostly cases three times a day among teenagers causes increased obesity rate [5]. Secondly residential area play vital role in eating habits of fast food, participants living near by the fast food restaurants would like to prefer fast food on homemade dishes and in our findings having more obesity rate as compared to those which are not living near restaurants [6]. Thirdly type of fast (pizza, burger, shawarma and soft drinks) consumption is higher and leads obesity as compared to other items. Another investigation was directed in USA in which a house hold overview was led to discover impacts of drive-thru food utilization on vitality admission and diet quality among children and it was finished up from the review that junk food utilization was exceedingly common in the two sexual orientations, all racial/ethnic gatherings, and all areas of the nation [6,7]. Controlling for financial and statistical factors, expanded drive-thru food utilization was autonomously connected with male sexual orientation, more seasoned age, higher family wages, non-Hispanic dark race/ethnicity, and living in the South [8].  [9]. Fundamentally the same as results were seen by utilizing inside subject investigations in which subjects filled in as their own controls: that is, youngsters ate progressively all out vitality and had poorer eating routine quality on days with, contrasted and without, drive-thru food.

CONCLUSION:
This study was conducted to find out the consumption of fast food and obesity rate among teenagers. Total no of 1000 participants take part in our study. Obesity rate is greater in females (stage4 table .3) as compared to males. No male was fall in stage 1, but majority (247) were in stage 3 of BMI. And we concluded from our study that fast food consumption in teenagers is becoming a trend and its harmful effects will lead towards obesity. Mostly of participants were 17 year old obese (42.5%).Fast food consumption on daily bases mostly thrice a day and residential area (near restaurants) and type of fast food (pizza, burger, shawarma, and soft drinks) were majorly involved in obesity rate.