NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – A study published in the respiratory medicine journal Thorax suggests the more fast food your child eats, the more likely they are to have develop asthma.

The study looked at 500,000 kids worldwide and found that teens who consumed junk food regularly, more than three times a week, were nearly 40-percent more likely to have severe asthma.

According to Dr. Robert W. Sugerman, an allergist at Medical City Dallas Hospital, the resulting asthma isn’t a food allergy like one would have to peanuts. “This is the effects of eating certain kinds of foods on the promotion of allergic inflammation, which shows up as problems like asthma and respiratory allergies,” he explained.

As bad as fast food may be for kids, the study also confirmed the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. The study concluded that eating even small amounts of fruit the childhood risk of developing asthma by up to 14-percent.

Dr. Sugerman believes the negative nutritional components in most fast food, like saturated and trans fatty acids, sodium and sugar, can contribute to or cause a number of different health issues. “They can promote inflammatory responses that can lead to things like cancer, and also heart disease, and also allergic disorders like asthma.”

Ultimately it took scientist from five different countries and the bigger International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), involving nearly 2,000,000 children, prove what your parents always said — “eat your vegetables, they’re good for you.”

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