16.05.2008 at 08:01
- Category:
Health News Today
One kebab tested by the scientists contained 130g of fat |
Lovers of takeaway food could be eating more than their daily allowance of fat and salt in just one meal, scientists have warned.
A sample of 148 takeaway meals found that many exceeded recommended guideline amounts.
Scientists from Hampshire County Council tested meals from across the south of England.
One kebab tested contained 130g of fat - equivalent to a four ounce wine glass full of cooking oil.
'Disease risk'
The study found that 86% of the dishes would be labelled as red for fat levels under the Food Standards Agency (FSA) traffic light system.
It found that more than 75% would also be labelled as red for salt levels.
| It's harmful because most of the time people would have a kebab in addition to two other meals
Denise Thomas
Portsmouth Hospitals Trust |
Nutrition expert Denise Thomas, of Portsmouth Hospitals Trust, told Newsbeat some takeaway food had "dangerous" levels of fat.
"It's harmful because, most of the time, people would have a kebab in addition to two other meals," she said.
"If you had a normal two meals and then you're doing that, it's a progressive thing."
She added: "You're going to be gaining weight because there's so much fat.
"This will clog the arteries hence increasing the risk of heart disease."
The 148 samples, which also included Chinese and Indian meals, pizzas and fish and chips, were taken from eight different local authority areas in the south of England.
