Fast food
IN PHOTO: A man prepares a kebab in a fast-food restaurant in Marseille October 9, 2014. In a country whose national identity is so closely connected to its cuisine, France's hard right has seized on a growing appetite for kebabs as proof of cultural "islamisation". Some 300 million kebabs at about 6 euros each are eaten in 10,200 outlets in France each year, putting the 1.5 billion euro ($1.9 billion) industry just behind burgers and pizza, according to Gira Conseil, a market research company. Picture taken October 9, 2014. To match Feature FRANCE-IMMIGRATION/KEBABS REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissie

Study shows that “eating out” can increase the risk of hypertension among Southeast Asian individuals. A group of researchers conducted a survey in young adults in the hope of pointing out a relationship between hypertension and eating away from home, as previous studies suggest.

The study was performed by surveying information from 501 individuals, aged 18-40 years old, who went to the University of Singapore. The participants were assessed for their blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), physical activity routine, overall lifestyle and the frequency of them eating out. After analysis, the researchers were able to determine that 27.4 percent has pre-hypertension, 49 percent of whom are males and 9 percent are females. Additionally, the percentage of participants eating more than 12 meals out of the home is 38 percent.

The participants with hypertension or pre-hypertension were found to smoke, eat out more often, have higher BMI and spend lesser time on physical activity compared to those who do not have hypertensive conditions. The researchers also discovered that there is a 6 percent increase in the risk of developing pre-hypertension, just by eating one meal out of the home per week.

Study author Prof Tazeen Jafar from the Health Services and Systems Program at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore says that this study is the first of its kind in terms of specifically tackling the relationship between hypertension and eating out."While there have been studies conducted in the United States and Japan to find behaviors associated with hypertension, very few have surveyed a Southeast Asian population. Our research plugs that gap and highlights lifestyle factors associated with pre-hypertension and hypertension that are potentially modifiable, and would be applicable to young adults globally, especially those of Asian descent."

The researchers now recommends medical practitioners to encourage young adults, particularly males, to start changing their eating behaviours and lifestyle patterns. Furthermore, the public should be made aware of the possibilities surrounding the increased risk of hypertension among these affected individuals. Salt regulation and other policies should be implemented in these eateries, the researchers suggest.

The researchers will also perform a separate study that will complement their recent findings. Further research is set to investigate the possible interventions that can help to reduce hypertension in young adults in Singapore.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is the leading risk factor associated with cardiovascular diseases. The mechanism behind this condition can result in the heart’s deceased ability to pump blood from the heart due to the high pressure exerted on the walls of the blood vessels. This condition can lead to heart failure and heart attack, and increases the risk of kidney failure, aneurysm and stroke. In the US, approximately 10 million adults and two million children have hypertension.

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