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Would You Like Statins with That Burger?


We all know that fast food isn't the healthiest food. In fact, with monstrosities like the Double Down en vogue right now, it seems like chains are racing to make the unhealthiest food. With obesity at record levels already, that's just contributing to a public health problem.

In a new paper in the American Journal of Cardiologists, Dr. Darrel Francis proposes a solution: Offer cholesterol-lowering statins at fast food chains. Maybe even offer them right next to the condiments and soda.


As Dr. Francis explains it:

"Statins do not cut out all of the unhealthy effects of burgers and fries. It's better to avoid fatty food altogether. But in terms of your likelihood of having a heart attack, taking a statin can reduce your risk to more or less the same degree as a fast food meal increases it."

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Some doctors have criticized the proposal for just reinforcing the notion that pills can compensate for bad lifestyle decisions, and maybe increase junk food consumption. I'm not sure it would have that effect. Wouldn't you think twice about eating a meal for which you had to immediately medicate yourself? Whether fast food companies would ever get on board without being forced is the real question.


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