Fast Food: Problem in America? Essay

Imagine you’re at McDonald’s and you’re going in for that bite on your burger. First thing you think about is the tastiness of the burger and not exactly what you’re eating. Little do you know that you’re eating so much stuff that will actually take a toll on your body in the long run? Most Americans do not have this thought running through their minds because all they care about is the explosion of flavor in their mouth and the satisfaction of being full after. Americans should eliminate the regular consumption of fast food because the fast food diet leads to health issues, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Diabetes is a common factor after consuming fast foods (junk food). For those who do not know what diabetes is: Diabetes is a disease in which the body is unable to properly use and store sugar. Sugar backs up in the bloodstream causing one’s blood sugar to rise too high and fast food is high in sugar even though we do not know it. Even though the fast food may be high in calories, it will lack nutritional value because of the high amount of carbs as well as all the fats. Fast foods are usually high in calories, and highly processed, but they tend to have few vitamins and minerals, and are usually low in fiber. Fast foods often contain large amount of added sugar, and high in saturated fats and Trans fats. Besides diabetes, Americans are highly affected from fast foods in the form of obesity. You can find a fast food restaurant every time you turn the corner and you can choose from burgers, tacos or a sugary drink at most places. As mentioned before: Fast foods are typically high in calories, fat, sugar, carbohydrates, and sodium. I believe the rate of obesity is so high because of how inexpensive it is to buy and also due to multiple locations of fast food restaurants. Obesity is starting to become a major factor in America these days due to all the fast food we consume. In addition to Obesity in America, it is now becoming a big deal to the youth. As said before, most fast food chains lurk around every corner and is  very tempting to the human eye. Along with the location of fast food our lifestyles have changed over the years where we live in a fast paced society. The fast food industry understands this which is why there is a drive through window. You can order something healthier on the fast food menu, but most of the time you are being rushed to order and you make the wrong choice, or because the healthier items on the menu are usually the most expensive. Either way this is what I see when I order from fast food restaurants. Finally, the most serious outcome of consuming fast food in your daily will be heart disease and eventually death. Studies found that consuming fast food as little as once a week increases the risk of dying from coronary heart disease by 20 percent. The risk goes up to 50 percent if you eat fast food two to three times weekly, according to the study. Worse still, the risk shoots to 80 percent for those who eat fast food four or more times per week. The study I found was interesting to me and it had me thinking of my own eating habits. Can you imagine with all the excess carbs, fats, sodium, sugars, and cholesterols being absorbed in your system that it will play a major role on your cardiovascular system? The thought of this was quite stunning and should be taught worldwide to prevent heart disease, which will lead to death. Fast food will always be a favorite meal for anyone that doesn’t have time to cook, on a budget, or just prefers the tastiness of the grease. Down the road if fast food is consumed daily then the effects will be catastrophic on the human body such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Fast food might not seem harmful at first, but the effects will soon become noticeable such as your waist line will become a lot bigger and you will start to feel out of shape even if it is simply walking that you do. Most of this essay is referring to the Americans, but if I were to specify which category that fast food affects the most the category would best suit the adults and children would be another category that suits this very well. Childhood obesity is on the rise and everyone throughout the world should know this, but for now just be aware that fast food is a major cause for diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.