Super Size MeSuper Size MeIn 2004 I watched a documentary film that now has made me think twice about eating fast food. Morgan Spurlock had an epiphany one night while hearing about 2 young girls suing McDonalds for their health problems. He then decided to make a documentary on just how unhealthy McDonalds (fast food) is bad for you. I learned the ongoing and fast rate obesity is growing. Diabetes are also playing a key role as well as psychological changes and side affects that can happen.
In the documentary Spurlock goes to show how our nation is becoming morbidly obese and the fast rate it is growing just by fast food in itself. In the United States alone it has reached epidemic proportions. Surprisingly enough obesity is second to smoking when it comes to most preventable cause of death. Makes you think, whats more, the national weight gain over the past half-century coincides with the rise of major fast-food outlets. Twice as many American adults are obese today than in the 1960’s. Over this same period, fast food has become cheaper and easier to buy. Spurlock goes to show how people in countries like Japan and China have abandoned traditional healthy diets in favor of fast food, the rates of obesity have soared. Then in countries which have resisted the spread of fast food culture, like France, Italy and Spain, obesity is far less of a problem. Spurlock really showed how something as simple as getting a quick burger is a life changing event.
Obesity is not only a wide spreading effect of fast food but diabetes is becoming just as much of an epidemic. Spurlock’s documentary shows that people who eat fast food are much more likely to develop insulin resistance (diabetes) than those who dont. At one of Spurlock’s many check up he finds out that he has high blood pressure due to high blood sugar levels. The result is high blood sugar levels that can make such individuals more prone to high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Spurlock also pointed out that those who ate 2 meals per week of fast food had more than a 100 percent risk of insulin resistance compared to those who limited their intake of fast food to one meal or less per week. He said that he gets to live
[quote=Hector]A study of 3,160 US male students found that they ate one meals at a time, but that one-to-two meals per week had no effect on blood glucose at a baseline. Those who were less physically active had no effect, and those who consumed more calories or did less exercise were also less likely to have either type of obesity (high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes) or type 2 diabetes (diabetes) (Table 3).
The evidence for the association between fast food intake and weight gain, waist circumference, body composition, and body mass index (BMI for men, 34–35 kg/m2, 35–36 kg/m2 for women) is growing, although the link was weak.
The prevalence of overweight was 3.2%
The research on insulin resistance is increasing, and a growing body of research on the effects of fast food consumption on obesity and type 2 diabetes indicates some positive results which could help reduce the epidemic. On average, Americans eat only 3.3 meal a week.1 The average American has a body mass index (BMI) of 31.2 or heavier.1 For overweight people who are at a 45th percentile of body fat percentage, there is a 1.7% to 3% increase in their risk of Type 2 diabetes.2 This means that eating more fast foods should only be a first step in addressing the underlying obesity epidemic.3 In addition, there is growing evidence that foods high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products could potentially lower people’s risk of obesity.4
One key thing to know is there are two main sources of fast foods. One can be found to be high in fructose. For example, low fructose corn syrup (LH 2 ) has been widely consumed both processed and organic diets. LH 2 is considered to be a form of diabetes due to the high levels of lipids. High fructose corn syrup is also found in fruit juices, such as citrus juice and pineapple juice. This high fructose corn syrup has resulted in the widespread consumption of various types of processed foods. A large study of 1,700 college students in New York City showed that in college students who ate a total of six servings of fast food daily, 1 in 4 students were diagnosed with a type 2 diabetes within a typical month. The amount it takes to become diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is much lower than in the healthy community. However, in some circles, the health professionals who prescribe it advise using it rather than regular food.5
In summary