The term "fast food" usually refers to food that people want to consume quickly, at a low cost, and conveniently. However, there is a vast amount of well-researched evidence indicating various negative health impacts associated with excessive consumption of fast food. This article will present 13 common effects of fast food on the body.
1. Fast Food and Its Popularity
Fast food, as the name suggests, refers to food items prepared and served quickly. Typically, these dishes are made with precooked or preheated ingredients and often served in a package for takeout. Recent studies from reputable nutrition journals have shown that fast food tends to be high in various substances that are often detrimental to health. Fast food is loaded with sugar, salt, saturated or trans fats, as well as numerous preservatives and processed ingredients.
The primary target demographic for fast food is teenagers. According to a food institute analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, teenagers alone allocate about 45% of their food budget to fast food.
While fast food isn't completely bad, in many cases, it is heavily processed and contains large amounts of carbohydrates, added sugars, unhealthy fats, and salt.
These foods are often high in calories but low or lacking in nutritional value. When fast food regularly replaces nutritious foods in your diet, it can lead to malnutrition, poor health, and weight gain. Animal studies have even shown the negative effects of short-term diets high in fast food. Being overweight is a risk factor for a host of chronic health problems including heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, most people underestimate the number of calories they are consuming at a fast-food restaurant. A 2013 study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children and adolescents consume more calories from fast food compared to home-cooked meals. Eating at restaurants added between 160 and 310 calories per day.
2. Benefits of Fast Food
Fast food doesn't take a long time to prepare, it's quite convenient and can be taken to many places. You can eat, work, and study at the same time. It's quite suitable for the modern lifestyle of today's generation.
Fast food has a delicious flavor, an eye-catching color, and an attractive aroma, suiting the taste of a large number of young people.
Furthermore, companies operating in the fast food business always pay attention to the needs of young people, often having attractive discounts and preferential treatment for customers.
3. Impact of Fast Food on Health
3.1. Impacts on the Digestive System
Most fast foods are high in carbohydrates and low or lack fiber. Diets low in fiber are linked to an increased risk of digestive diseases such as constipation and appendicitis, as well as a decrease in healthy gut bacteria. When your digestive system consumes these foods, carbs are released as glucose (sugar) and cause blood sugar levels to rise.
The pancreas responds to the increase in glucose by releasing insulin, to transport sugar to the cells that need it for energy. Once your body uses or stores the sugar, blood sugar levels return to normal. However, if you consume fast food frequently (eating a lot of carbs) it will cause blood sugar levels to rise again. Over time, these insulin spikes can lead to insulin resistance, causing type 2 diabetes and weight gain.
3.2. Sugar and Fat
Many types of fast food have added sugar. It means extra calories but little nutrition. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating only 100 to 150 calories of added sugar per day, which is about 6-9 teaspoons. A 340-gram can of soda contains 8 teaspoons of sugar. That's equivalent to 140 calories, 39 grams of sugar, and nothing else.
Trans fats are fats created during the processing of foods. They are found in:
- Baked goods;
- Pastries;
- Pizza dough;
- Crackers;
- Cookies.
There are no good and healthy types of trans fats. Eating foods containing these fats can increase LDL (bad cholesterol), decrease HDL (good cholesterol), and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic heart disease.
3.3. Sodium
Fast food is often high in sodium, and consuming excessive amounts of sodium can lead to bloating, swelling, or edema. A high-sodium diet is also dangerous for people with high blood pressure, as sodium increases blood pressure and puts added strain on your cardiovascular system. A small study in the Journal of Hypertension showed that consuming a lot of salt can have an immediate impact on the normal functioning of a person's blood vessels.
3.4. Impacts on the Respiratory System
Excess calories from fast food can lead to weight gain and obesity. Obesity increases the risk of respiratory diseases, including breathing and shortness of breath. In children, eating fast food at least three times a week is associated with a higher risk of developing asthma.
3.5. Impacts on the Central Nervous System
Fast food provides only short-term satisfaction, but in the long run, it is not beneficial.
People who eat fast food and processed pastries have a 51% higher risk of depression compared to those who do not eat these foods or eat them very little.
Fast food is very tasty, which means it is consumed very quickly in the mouth, without much chewing, and quickly activates the reward centers in the brain.
Research from 2018 and earlier studies have suggested a link between fast food consumption and rates of food addiction to these nutrient-poor foods.
A study in the journal Appetite also found a causal link between a diet high in saturated fat and simple carbohydrates, typified by high consumption of fast food, and lower memory and learning abilities. A diet high in fast food may also increase the risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
3.6. Impacts on the Cardiovascular System
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests that a diet high in salt often leads to high blood pressure in people with hypertension, meaning a person is more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, or heart failure.
The FDA also notes that a diet high in trans fats increases the amount of low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol, and decreases the amount of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" cholesterol. This means an increased likelihood of developing heart disease in a person.
3.7. Impacts on the Reproductive System
A study has shown that fast food contains phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals that can interfere with how sex hormones work and can lead to reproductive problems, including birth defects.
3.8. Impacts on Skin, Hair, and Nails
According to the Mayo Clinic, chocolate and greasy foods like pizza are the cause of acne because they are high in carbohydrates. Carb-rich foods cause blood sugar levels to rise, which is a potential cause of acne, and are also more likely to develop eczema.
3.9. Impacts on the Skeletal System
Carbs and sugars in fast food and processed foods can increase acid in the mouth, damaging tooth enamel and creating conditions for bacteria to attach and cause cavities.
Being overweight or obese can also lead to complications with bone density and muscle mass. It is important to continue exercising to build muscle, support your bones, and maintain a healthy diet to minimize bone loss.
3.10. Impacts on Food Perception
Another consequence of young people frequently eating fast food is their unintentional lack of knowledge about how to prepare basic meals, cook, and eat healthily.
Over time, this perpetuates a reliance on fast food, and people may not learn how to prepare balanced and healthy meals at home. Fast food tends to have a lot of added salt and sugar during processing. They themselves contain a lot of saturated fat, trans fat, preservatives, and processed ingredients.
Numerous studies have been conducted that have demonstrated the negative health effects of consuming too many of these foods.
3.11. Cancer Risk
Over 100 samples of fast food grilled chicken were found to contain 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine or PhIP, a chemical that when meat is heated to a certain temperature can lead to breast, prostate, and colon cancer in humans.
3.12. Cognitive Function
Fast foods like bacon cheeseburgers, some fried foods, and milkshakes often contain high levels of saturated fat that can negatively impact brain function and memory. Higher intakes of saturated fatty acids can reduce your memory speed and flexibility, as well as your ability to recall information.
3.13. Risk of Kidney Disease
Excess sodium can also increase your risk of developing kidney stones and glomerulonephritis, or even urinary tract infections.
However, not all fast food has a negative impact on health. To maintain good health, we should try to identify fast food options that are low in salt, fat, sugar, and total carbohydrates, and limit our overall consumption of fast food.
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References: salud-america.org, healthline.com, medicalnewstoday.com
