Fast Food is gradually raising serious health concerns World Wide,most especially in the developed where you have ubiquitous fast food giants like Mac Donald,KFC and Burger King?
Can what is so popular Worldwide,thanks to globalisation have potential to be so dangerous? To appreciate the risk in total embrace of fast food especially at detriment of traditional food is to understand it long term consequence.
Before we proceed, it is appropriate to understand what fast food is.It is also called Quick Service Restaurant(QRS). It is food that can be prepared and served very quickly.Such meals can be served in prepackaged form for take-out/take away and is done in Kiosk,shops or big Hall. Many Fast food joints occupy shopping plazas,fuel stations,high ways and city centres etc.Example of fast food items are numerous-fried chicken,tacos,pizza,hot dog,ice cream,salad,hamburger and pitas etc.They can be eaten without cutleries.
As simple as business process of fast food may appear,it is a big business worldwide valued at 102.4 billion dollars in 2006.It is so heavily advertised and cheap but unfortunately can be unhealthy.Some even believe that if tobacco could be controlled,why not fast food?
The question is, how can this fast food which is delicious and easily available especially in urban areas be unhealthy?The adverse effect of fast food stems from the fact that it has high fat content and a lot of trans-fat,poor caloric content,high refined sugar content and in some cases the portion size.
It must be noted that occasional fast food intake or patronage may have none or little danger however addiction to fast food is a bad habit and could be risky.Combined with decrease in physical activities which is common among white collar workers who patronise fast-food joint most is even worst.Really frequent or total fast-food diet constitute a very serious health problem.
Massachusetts Medical Society Committee on Nutrition says fast food is high on fat content and is established that high fast food intake can lead to increased body mass index and weight gain.Also David Ludwig,Director of Children 's Hospital,Boston claimed fast food consumption leads to increase the risk of Diabetes Mellitus. If an individual become obese,he/she has increased chance of developing hypertension or Diabetes Mellitus.
Interestingly, an American-Caesar Barber took the fast food giants into a legal battle.He was popular for attempting to sue Fast food chains like MacDonalds,Burger King,Wendy's and KFC for making him addicted to their food and making him overweight.
In addition in "Supersize me" a documentary depicted a man that dined on fast food for entire month which resulted in tens of pound weight gain.Excessive fast food leads to being overweight which subsequently lead to diabetes mellitus,hypertension and excess lipids in the system.
Eating Fast Food regularly has been found to increase weight. A British Researcher from the Medical Council, Human Nutrition Centre and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine discovered that eating fast food from some fast-food joints is likely to cause weight gain and obesity. This is due to the caloric content of fast-food which is higher than traditional food. Not only that, it undermines normal appetite control system. Therefore, an individual is likely to consume more.
Can what is so popular Worldwide,thanks to globalisation have potential to be so dangerous? To appreciate the risk in total embrace of fast food especially at detriment of traditional food is to understand it long term consequence.
Before we proceed, it is appropriate to understand what fast food is.It is also called Quick Service Restaurant(QRS). It is food that can be prepared and served very quickly.Such meals can be served in prepackaged form for take-out/take away and is done in Kiosk,shops or big Hall. Many Fast food joints occupy shopping plazas,fuel stations,high ways and city centres etc.Example of fast food items are numerous-fried chicken,tacos,pizza,hot dog,ice cream,salad,hamburger and pitas etc.They can be eaten without cutleries.
 |
| By Steven Lilley (originally posted to Flickr as Fish 'n' Chips) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
As simple as business process of fast food may appear,it is a big business worldwide valued at 102.4 billion dollars in 2006.It is so heavily advertised and cheap but unfortunately can be unhealthy.Some even believe that if tobacco could be controlled,why not fast food?
The question is, how can this fast food which is delicious and easily available especially in urban areas be unhealthy?The adverse effect of fast food stems from the fact that it has high fat content and a lot of trans-fat,poor caloric content,high refined sugar content and in some cases the portion size.
It must be noted that occasional fast food intake or patronage may have none or little danger however addiction to fast food is a bad habit and could be risky.Combined with decrease in physical activities which is common among white collar workers who patronise fast-food joint most is even worst.Really frequent or total fast-food diet constitute a very serious health problem.
Massachusetts Medical Society Committee on Nutrition says fast food is high on fat content and is established that high fast food intake can lead to increased body mass index and weight gain.Also David Ludwig,Director of Children 's Hospital,Boston claimed fast food consumption leads to increase the risk of Diabetes Mellitus. If an individual become obese,he/she has increased chance of developing hypertension or Diabetes Mellitus.
.jpg) |
| By Christian Cable from Lancaster (Fast Food Uploaded by Partyzan_XXI) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
Interestingly, an American-Caesar Barber took the fast food giants into a legal battle.He was popular for attempting to sue Fast food chains like MacDonalds,Burger King,Wendy's and KFC for making him addicted to their food and making him overweight.
In addition in "Supersize me" a documentary depicted a man that dined on fast food for entire month which resulted in tens of pound weight gain.Excessive fast food leads to being overweight which subsequently lead to diabetes mellitus,hypertension and excess lipids in the system.
Eating Fast Food regularly has been found to increase weight. A British Researcher from the Medical Council, Human Nutrition Centre and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine discovered that eating fast food from some fast-food joints is likely to cause weight gain and obesity. This is due to the caloric content of fast-food which is higher than traditional food. Not only that, it undermines normal appetite control system. Therefore, an individual is likely to consume more.
Another important observation was
that by eating Mac and fries, the body consumes almost twice as much calories
as much you would if you would if you eat the same weight of pasta and
salad.Someone dining totally on fast food would surely be pushing more calories
into his body than can be burn. “A
regular meal at Mac Donald consist of Big Mac,fries and a large coca-cola drink
amounting to 1430 calories” That is more than 70% of what of what an average
person needs in a day! In one meal you take that swoop!
Most fast foods are low in fibre
content causing frequent constipation,increase predisposition to obesity and
diverticulitis.
Furthermore, in Eric Schlosser’s
book “Fast Food Nation: Dark Side of All
American meal” he pointed out the risk of large scale food poisoning that
could arise from fast food joints. This poisoning is by organism like
Salmonella spp and Escherica coli.These risks may only reduce through strict
regulatory monitoring bodies like NAFDAC in Nigeria and FDA in USA.
Occasional fast food may mean no
harm but regular dining on fast food may lead to developing of
obesity,hypertension and diabetes mellitus etc These diseases arise slowly with
attendant serious consequences.Unfortunately, globally we are having a global
and impeding epidemic running side by side with a fast food culture by
persistent nad heavy advertisement.Who shall save us?
Click HealthGUARD
Articles you may like
HEPATITIS B: What you need to know?
New Ways of Losing Weight
How to prevent Cholera
Young Adult Obesity May Affect Later Heart Disease
Should You Take Dietary Supplements?
.jpg) |
By Jim G from Silicon Valley, CA, USA [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
|
©HealthGUARD 2012
More Articles on click HealthGUARDClick HealthGUARD
LIKE healthGUARD facebook page
( https://www.facebook.com/pages/healthGUARD/122128591141599), if U have not done that already.
Feel FREE to SHARE this article!
****************
SHARE/Tag your friends.
Join to get online health information!
http://healthguaguardmain.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/healthGUARD/122128591141599
Articles you may like
HEPATITIS B: What you need to know?
New Ways of Losing Weight
How to prevent Cholera
Young Adult Obesity May Affect Later Heart Disease
Should You Take Dietary Supplements?
