In the contemporary world, the consumption of fast foods has been on the rise. The traditional way of preparing food has been overtaken by the eating of takeaway fast foods. Hence the time allocated for the preparation of food has decreased with most people rushing to purchase fast foods as they are ready-made. Fast foods are mass-produced foods intended for commercial resale and prioritize speed of service over other significant dynamics in culinary science. The culture of fast food is to ensure that busy commuters, travelers, and workers who have no time to sit down in restaurants and wait for meals can grab their shopping and consume it at will. Fast food restaurants have tremendously increased due to high demand from most consumers. The foods are precooked which are then kept ready for customers. Fast foods include French fries, hamburgers, bagged buns, and pizzas to name a few. However much people love consuming fast foods, they pose adverse effects on health. The paper seeks to meticulously describe the effects of consuming fast foods.
The emergence of drive-thru restaurants selling fast food has been exorbitant in the United States. Therefore, many citizens have been compelled to consider consuming fast foods without regarding the myriad health implications they are exposed to. Foremost, eating fast foods is the leading cause of colorectal cancer, obesity as well as high cholesterol in the body (Chappell p.101). Fast foods like pizzas have been examined by food experts who found that they have content of saturated fats, sugar, and salt along with calories. Therefore, excessive intake of fast foods results in increases in sugar levels and fats in the body which may lead to obesity. Obese individuals may be exposed to risks of suffering from other diseases like heart-related diseases, and diabetes. In the United States today, it is estimated that among three adults, two of them are regarded to be obese. Eating fast foods may harm the digestive along with cardiovascular systems. Fast food drinks have a high content of carbohydrates with minimal fiber. During the process of digestion, carbs become released in form of glucose into the bloodstream which increases the level of sugar. I echo the statements highlighted by Frances Moore Lappe which posits that “our food system takes abundant grain, which people can’t afford, and shrinks it into the meat which better-off people will pay for.” Frances Moore's sentiments emphasized the effects of increased consumption of meat products from companies.
Secondly, fast foods harm the human respiratory system. The high content of calories in fast foods can result in weight gain and ultimately develop into obesity which increases one’s risk of having respiratory problems such as asthma. Excess calories in the body inhibit the proper functioning of the lungs which may cause breathing difficulties when walking and performing exercises (Janssen et al p.31). Children consuming fast foods are at risk of developing asthma as highlighted by a study by experts. Thirdly, fast foods may affect the central nervous system. Fast foods are exuberant in short-term hunger satisfaction yet they have fewer positives in the long term. It is regarded that people eating fast foods along with processed pastries are more likely to suffer from depression as compared to those who do not consume foods or eat less of them.
Thirdly, fast foods may result in complications within the human reproductive system. Junks foods and fast foods have ingredients that negatively impact fertility. Processed foods have chemicals - phthalates – that alter hormonal actions within the body. Phthalates can lead to reproductive problems such as birth defects.
Fourthly, fast foods affect the integumentary system which includes the skin, hair, and nails. Fast foods are rich in high content of carbohydrates that have negative impacts on skin appearance. Carbohydrates have excess fats and sugars that have brought about breakouts of acne as recorded by the Mayo Clinic (Wade p.399). Normally, foods rich in carbohydrates results in blood sugar spikes that trigger the development of acne. Eating fast foods at least three times a week by children and adolescents may lead them to incur eczema – a skin condition that causes itching. Fifthly, fast foods can lead to health problems in the skeletal system of the body. After eating fast foods there is always an increase in acids within the mouth that can dissolve the tooth enamel. Therefore, bacteria in the tooth results in cavities in the tooth. Also, obese people are at risk of dropping and breaking bones.
There is a need for people to consider preparing their meals traditionally by limiting the purchasing of fast foods which is marred with diverse health problems. Consumption of fast foods leads to diseases like asthma, obesity, and diabetes which may pose danger to human life (Holt-Giménez p.13). The choice is the willpower that everyone is given to choose the meals he or she would like to consume. Therefore, reducing the consumption of fast foods will be astoundingly beneficial to one’s health concerns. As France Moore Lappe once stated, “I understand, of course, that grain-fed meat is not the cause of the world hunger problem-and eating some of it does not directly take food out of the mouths of starving people-but it is, to me, a symbol and a symptom of the basic irrationality of a food system that’s divorced from human needs. Therefore, using less meat can be an important way to take responsibility. Making conscious choices about what we eat based on what the earth can sustain and what our bodies need, can help remind us that our whole society must begin to balance sustainable production with human feed.”
As an urbanite, I have expressed a high demand in purchasing ready-cooked foods. Whenever I visit a supermarket I usually head to the section where there are canned foods and confectionaries such as cookies, fried pies, pastries, and pizzas. Normally, I do not embrace the traditional way of preparing meals but resort to purchasing takeaways that the only microwave and consume. However, I have reconsidered my stance on consuming fast foods as they come with negative implications for health. I consent to the practice of conventional ways of preparing food like cooking as compared to the consumption of fast foods. This is because junk foods have high contents of sugars, fats, and calories that may pose health risks such as obesity, high blood pressure, and asthma. There is a need to develop smart measures that mitigate the effects of fast foods in society such as embracing vegetarianism. I strongly agree with the position of Cheney and Ellis in King Corn's film. It encapsulates the quest for Cheney and Ellis to examine the trend of elevated production of corn and highlights that the government has encouraged this practice through its subsidies. They denoted that the high consumption of corn products manufactured by industries has health consequences. In the fight for reducing the production of more fast foods with high carbohydrate content, it is significant in averting health risks resulting from their consumption.
In conclusion, fast food culture is still being practiced in the world. Fast food restaurants have tremendously increased over the years in America. a report by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) surveyed that since 1970 fast-food restaurants in the United States have doubled. Even though they sell fast foods to customers within the shortest time possible, they have adverse effects on health. For example, eating hamburgers, cookies, pastries, and cookies has been found to cause obesity. Fast foods have high contents of calories, fats, and sugars which may lead to respiratory problems – difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath.