Fast food, fast aging? A cross-sectional study in the UK

The rapid expansion of takeaway food consumption has raised concerns about its negative health effects, yet its relationship with biological aging remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between takeaway meal consumption and biological aging using data from the UK Biobank. We performed a cross-sectional analysis from 43,478 participants in the UK Biobank. Takeaway meal consumption was assessed using the UK Biobank’s ‘Type of Meals Eaten’ survey question. Biological age was estimated using two validated metrics: Phenotypic Age (PhenoAge) and the Klemera-Doubal Method (KDM), both derived from clinical biomarkers. Generalized linear models assessed the association between takeaway consumption and biological aging, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health-related factors. Mediation analysis evaluated the potential mediating role of body mass index (BMI). The overall sample had a mean age of 56.01 years (standard deviation = 8.18), with 45.1% being male. Takeaway consumers were more likely to be younger, male, and less educated, with higher social deprivation, overweight prevalence, and unhealthy behaviors (smoking, alcohol use), lower physical activity, yet lower rates of hypertension and coronary heart disease compared to home-cooked meal consumers (reference group). Takeaway food consumption was significantly associated with accelerated biological aging, corresponding to 0.302 years (95% CI: 0.139–0.464, p < 0.001; ~3.6 months) and 0.240 years (95% CI: 0.114–0.366, p < 0.001; ~2.9 months) of additional aging based on PhenoAge and KDM, respectively, compared to home-cooked meals. BMI partially mediated this relationship, accounting for 30 to 37% of the total effect. Takeaway meal consumption is linked to significant biological age acceleration, partly through increased BMI. The findings underscore the potential public health implications of dietary habits and support interventions targeting food quality and access in takeaway-dense environments.