study on diet and allergy development in children
sparked a number of headlines and prompted debate
in the media over whether diet may be responsible for
the increase in childhood allergies that has been seen
over recent years. Headlines included: ‘Fast food and
takeaways linked to surge in child asthma and allergies’
(The Guardian 2013), ‘Children who eat junk
food three times a week have more severe asthma and
eczema’ (Daily Mail 2013) and ‘Fast-food linked to
childhood asthma and eczema’ (BBC News 2013). The
newspaper and media reports focused on the link
between high consumption of ‘fast food’ and the risk
of allergy development, particularly in adolescents.
However, they also highlighted the fact that the study
had shown a protective role for fruit in both children
and adolescents.