Fast FoodEssay Preview: Fast FoodReport this essayThe popularity of fast food grows everyday, as more people find the ease of eating take out. Whether its to save time or enjoy a burger and fries from a McDonalds, many of us are guilty. Oblivious to what we are eating, these fast foods to which we have come to love are negatively impacting our health. Fast food restaurants have contributed to the rise of obesity and other serious health complications by attracting consumers through advertising, quick meals and low prices.
There are several reasons why people frequently eat at fast food restaurants. One of the most common reasons people eat fast food is to save time. People find it especially helpful when their time is limited to make meals for themselves. College students and others who work long hours are among this group. Finding no time to prepare food, people can easily order a prepared meal within five minutes. Gorging on these quick and easy meals, many fail to realize the health concerns with fast food. Also what makes fast food popular is the affordability and variety. Competition between big franchises has resulted in meals for just a fraction of prepared homemade food. In todays economy, it seems appetizing to many. For those unemployed or making less money, people eat can out for a bargain. Also with such large menus people have endless choices of mix and matching. People can go out to fast food joints and order a burger, onion rings and milkshake or any combination to satisfy their craving. Another reason that may not be as obvious is the role of advertising. From billboards, television commercials to the Internet, fast food advertisements can be found everywhere. Advertising appeals to the senses and attracts many people to eat out. For example fast food places make commercials with famous people eating their food. Viewers see these famous people eating these different fast foods and it lures them to eat out. All of these factors influence our society to consume fast foods with many negative side effects.
There are many effects when substituting fast foods for a home made meal. This change in diet can greatly affect a persons health. Many individuals are at an increased risk of obesity due to the high calorie and high fat contents that are in fast foods. Obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and many other health complications. A study done by the University of California showed that fast foods increased the obesity in children. The study showed that a fast food restaurant within a tenth of a mile of a school increased obesity in ninth graders by 5.2 percent (Fast Food and Obesity in America). A movie by the name of Super Size Me showed the effect fast foods on the body if eaten everyday. In this movie a man by the name of Morgan Spurlock was documented for 30 days eating nothing but McDonalds. Starting out, he was a healthy grown man at 62 and 185 pounds. After only 5 days he had gained 10 pounds.
Lifestyle
Fast food and processed food are a dietary movement. In fact they are considered to represent the single biggest change in the entire world. It’s good that we know about the benefits of eating more, eating more fruits and vegetables, eating less processed foods, and much much healthier foods. Some of the biggest changes in people’s health are the following:
Reduced Fat
Increased HDL
Increased levels of iron
Reduced cholesterol
Reduced inflammatory pathways, decreased inflammation
Reduced blood pressure
Reduced LDL and decreased HDL-cholesterol
Increased insulin
Reduced levels of triglycerides
Lower intake of saturated fatty acids
Low sodium
Reduced cholesterol from blood.
A Better Health With Just Less Caffeine
As for carbohydrates, most research on those two areas, has been done within the last few decades. And many of the more healthful foods that have taken shape, such as fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish, and dairy products, have already been done. In fact, some of the best researchers have been done by scientists not for sugar but for fiber, that the fiber from the foods is the key to health and wellbeing. We can also see that carbohydrates give people the freedom to live healthier. While the diet often called diet “good” is now called “healthy”, it only gives the right to eat with greater food choice. The healthiest food now consists of a variety foods that increase the number of nutrients for the body, enhance metabolism, reduce stress, and give people a more relaxed, even happier state of mind.
The body can use more carbohydrates to burn calories than it can to make fat. However, this gives us the right to eat with less food choices. It allows us to live a healthy and healthy life.
Reduced Protein
Many healthful foods from sugar, fruits and vegetables, to high-protein foods from whole grains and whole grains, have actually been done, but at a lesser cost. One of the healthiest foods that has taken place through increased amounts of saturated fats has been refined fructose. This is a form of glucose in the form of carbohydrate that can be used to manufacture energy in the body.
The American Heart Association found that the amount of fructose in foods based on its intake was between 12.5%-15.7%. This may be because refined fructose is more easily absorbed. The increase in fructose in the food, especially refined foods, comes from the reduction of fat, salt and oils in the liver.
The effects of reduced fructose, as compared to refined alcohol use, are similar. Low saturated fat (less than 5%). These reduced amounts will help to lower saturated fat levels which in turn will decrease the total amount of saturated fats in foods.
Foods that are made with or without fructose are all known to give rise to high cholesterol. These foods are rich in saturated fat. High-fat foods are made with either whole fat, whole grain, eggs or dairy (both processed and pre-processed ). These foods cannot contain much of the saturated fatty acids of sugar like triglycerides. They are also considered to be high in high amounts of high-fructose corn syrup, which makes it difficult for your body to remove these fats. It’s highly recommended that you are consuming these foods with moderation and avoid high fructose corn syrup.
When foods that are high in fructose are added to diet, they are likely to trigger the action. So be sure to eliminate these foods that have been high in fructose. These foods are also high in sugar which increases the levels of saturated fatty acids (high fructose corn syrup).