Fast food is the food that is cooked very quickly, but at the same time its nutritional value is reduced to nothing. On the contrary, the calorific value is extremely high. Such products, of course, help not to waste time, but they can cause serious health problems. In this review, you will find a story about what eating fast food can lead to.
What is fast food?
It would be fair to call this way any dish that is cooked very quickly and easily and is eaten equally quickly. There are several types of fast food:
Different sandwiches, hamburgers, potatoes with fillers, hot dogs, döner kebab, French fries, pizza, and other such “delicacies.” You can buy them from street vendors in the urban area or in shopping malls.
Your favorite oatmeal porridge, which you cook in the morning by adding boiling water for a couple of minutes, also belongs to fast food. This category of food includes instant noodles, soup, and mashed potatoes. Vitamins are not present in such products, but there is a great amount of taste enhancers, emulsifiers and preservatives.
Finally, there are crackers, seeds, nuts, popcorn, chips and other snacks, especially if they are salted or with additives (“flavored”).
1. Obesity
Obesity means that too much fat accumulates in the body. Fast food contains a large number of calories and sugar, which contribute to weight gain. Even a small amount of fast food can significantly increase the calorie intake. Eating fast food prevents people from eating fruits, vegetables, milk, etc. This change in eating habits can easily lead to obesity.
2. Heart disease
The risk of dying from heart disease increases by 80 percent in the people who eat fast food four or more times a week. The reason for this is that such food has a high level of saturated or trans fats. These fats can clog the arteries and eventually contribute to high cholesterol levels.
3. Type 2 diabetes
Fast food has become a way of life for many busy people, who are looking for a quick and inexpensive alternative to cooking at home. However, few people think that they can develop type 2 diabetes, which is often caused by an incorrect lifestyle (overweight and lack of physical activity).
4. Peptic ulcer
Peptic ulcer is the most common ulcer of the gastrointestinal tract, which is extremely painful. For almost 100 years, doctors have believed that stress, spicy food and alcohol cause most ulcers. But in the twentieth century, it became known that fast food, such as pizza, chips and salted peanuts, can also lead to the formation of ulcers.
5. Negative impact on the family
Fast food leads to the fact that family members are much less likely to spend time together at the dinner table. Everyone can buy and eat instant food on their way to work, while driving and while working in the office. Then the pleasure of family gatherings is completely lost.
6. Irregular eating time
A healthy person should eat at the right time, which “fast food” cannot provide. Fast food can be consumed at any time two or three times a day, whereas homemade foods are served at the proper time, which makes it possible to relax after eating.
7. A waste of money
Fast food costs too much compared to the food cooked at home. People with low incomes can hardly afford eating fast food on a constant basis.
8. Loss of appetite
Usual food contains nutrients that are not present in fast food. Constant eating of “available” foods can lead to loss of appetite, indigestion and sometimes even food poisoning. It is impossible to satisfy all the needs of the stomach with the help of fast food.
9. Lack of essential nutrients
Well balanced food contains all the essential elements necessary for human development. Fast food does not include all of these elements. This type of food contains some elements in large quantities, while others are not present there at all. Thus, fast food does not meet all the needs of the body, which can lead to a disease.
10. Stress
Foods rich in fats cause many diseases related to the heart, blood vessels, liver, etc. It has been noted that saturated fat foods can increase stress levels. Also certain foods and drinks act as powerful stimulants for the body and, therefore, are the direct cause of stress.
