Fast Food: Effects and Implications

Keywords: food is medicine essay

Any food that has poor nutritional value is considered unhealthy and may be called Fast Food. A food that is high in fat and sodium is known as fast food. It is easy to carry, purchase and consume. Generally, fast food is given a very attractive appearance by adding colors to enhance flavor, texture and appearance. It has high level of calories. Fast food is also known as junk food, processed food, and ready-meals. They are zero in nutritional value. They have only fats lying in it causing ill effects on the health of the consumer. The taste is the most attractive feature in fast foods. And once children are in a restaurant, unhealthy foods overshadow healthy ones on the menu. In most cases, unhealthy food such as French fries automatically come as sides with a meal, rather than the more healthy options, such as apples, that are shown in commercials. Their contents are rich in sodium salts and fats which provide high calories yet useless in value. A quick look at fast food tells us fast food and diet does not go hand in hand. Perhaps this is the reason why fast foods are also called as empty calorie foods. Nevertheless, junk foods are popular because of their simplicity to manufacture, consume and of course, their taste. People have their own notions about a certain food being listed as fast food. However, chocolates, burgers, pizzas, potato wafers and fries will surely find their way in to everyone’s list. The habit of taking in fast food is seen particularly with children, teenage and young adult and in the long run it can tell on their health. The main factor that attracts people to eat fast food is their taste. Their taste must be substituted with food that is cooked well and delicious, but at the same time healthy for the body while intake eating salad and fruits must be taken up and even increased.

“Remember, fast foods are empty calories. An empty calorie lacks in micro-nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, but has high energy (calories)”.

In order to know the impact of fast food, a simple questionnaire has been prepared. The students-group has selected the respondents of teenagers particularly undergraduates, both male and female. Some of them are habituated, where as some they have suffered a lot. The article is based on, face to face interaction. Thus, in general, it is the study of 1000 respondents and in particular, a sample of a group of 30 respondents and based on both primary and secondary sources of information.

Following are the significant observations from the information provided by the respondents.

• Most of the respondents are aware about the ingredients used in fast food which they purchase from the nearby stalls, hotels, restaurants, canteens tec.
• The fast food experiences by the respondents include burgers. Respondents prefer burgers over pizza.
• They opinioned that it is different from daily food, tasty and economical.
• They said that they are attracted towards fast food through advertisements, convinced by the friend.
• They experienced that the fast food is harmful for the health of human being.

As fast foods don’t provide you with essential nutrients, even though they can be very much sufficient, you feel weakened. Children given more fast food meals will grow up to have a lower IQ than those who regularly eat freshly-cooked meals. Parents with a higher status gave their children meals prepared with fresh ingredients more often, which positively affected their IQ.

Survey found more than 70% of children take fast food at lunch time. When you have a junk meal rich in oil you feel drowsy and fail to concentrate. Fast food is very tasty and no one goes by not noticing it and wanting to bite into it. Resisting fast food is difficult, but with age, taking in fast food is something to be desisted as they do not have a healthy effect on the body. Human food gets food but not healthy food. Fast food causes weight loss. People who are obesity are those who have a preference for fast food. Fast food actually fastens the effects of aging. People show signs of old age faster because of continuously eating fast food. Fast food and its ill effects on health are plenty. Be it obesity, diabetes, heart problems or any other disorders, it is now a well known fact that regular consumption of fast food can have serious ill effects on a person’s health.

Do not let children to get habituated to fast foods. Fast food, the name itself is tempting enough. Eliminating the temptation is one way to avoid it. Keeping good food nearby and having meals right on time may help in this direction. Preference should be given to the traditional and home-made food.

From the study, it may be concluded that the fast food are not suitable to the health of students. People eat fast food because they don’t have time to cook but on the same hand they also thought that no item can replace homemade items. At the end we can say, Fast Food may be making children fatter and unhealthy but they also make them happy.