As technology develops, behavioral and lifestyle changes also keep changing. One prominent lifestyle behavior is the indulgence in fast foods. Fast food refers to the meals that are easy to prepare, mostly through frying and can also be served fast as they do not require a lot of technicalities when eating. Despite them being sumptuous, the focus point should be on their health effects.
Fast foods are not entirely bad for your health when consumed in reasonable amounts. However, overindulgence can spell perilous results. There are various things you need to know about the impact of junk food, a category that most fast foods lie.
How Does Fast Foods Affect Your Health?
The first area you need to be concerned about when indulging in fast food is how it affects your health. Fast foods come with various adverse effects that can compromise your well being. It may be more severe if you have chronic conditions.
Despite the poor standing that these foods have when it comes to health, they also have some positive effects, beneficial to your health.
Positive Effects of Fast Foods
The following are some of the positive effects of fast foods that you should know.
● A Balanced Diet Is Possible
When talking about a little junk food, the picture painted is that of greasy food, far from being considered a balanced diet. The surprising thing is that you may land yourself a healthy serving from a fast food outlet.
Consider having a burger with a beef patty with lettuce and tomato slices. You have each nutrient present in the meal from carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins. The same also applies when you opt for a plate of fish and fries with some coleslaw.
● You Have an Option Instead Of Going Hungry
Another benefit of junk food is that it comes as an excellent option for you going hungry. Hunger is a serious condition and may, at times, arise due to loss of appetite. These foods are, most of the time, sumptuous and can come through when you are not in the mood of eating.
● Provides You With a Variety
The meals also offer a variety of meals that can fit your liking at a particular moment. There are several meals on the menu to try out and beat the monotony of eating a single meal day in day out, which is a characteristic associated with healthy organic meals.
● Easy To Prepare
The ease in preparing the foods is also another benefit to take advantage of. The meals are easy to prepare and come with creative preparation methods, making the whole experience worthwhile.
They also save on a lot of time in preparation and serving time, which, as earlier indicated, was the reason behind their christening of fast food. Costs are also a consideration, and they are quite cheap to acquire, either readymade or if you are going to prepare the meal at home.
Those are some of the positive effects you accrue when you decide on eating fast food. However, there is also the other side of the coin, looking at the health problems caused by fast food.
What are The Harmful Effects of Fast food?
Various fast food health statistics paint a grim picture of the consumption of these meals. There is a correlation between increased fast food consumption and various lifestyle diseases. The following are some of the adverse effects you get exposed to when you go full throttle in junk food consumption.
● The Risk Of Obesity
The risk of obesity is one to watch for due to the high-calorie levels of junk food. Kids want fast foods a lot due to the impressive packaging and taste; hence, they stand a high chance of going obese due to the consumption of such meals.
The overboard body weight comes due to the conversion of sugars and fats from food to body fat. The body stores this fat, and with time it becomes excessive, leading to a larger appearance. To most, this is a cosmetic issue that can lead to depression and self-esteem problems.
There is also an increased risk of other health problems such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, among many others.
● Increased Susceptibility To Diabetes
Junk foods and most snacks have high sugar content. During digestion, this sugar is converted to glucose for the body’s energy courtesy of the action of insulin from the pancreas. The high sugar content pushes the action of insulin over its limit to appoint of reducing its potency. The inactivity of insulin comes with the risk of type two diabetes.
Type two diabetes is a severe condition that compels you to go for regular insulin injections to curb sugar intolerance.
● Cardiovascular Diseases
Fast food facts point to a direct correlation between increased consumption of junk and susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases. There are two contributing factors to the influence on the circulatory system, one of them being the excessive fat found on the foods.
The fat increases the blood cholesterol level, which subsequently puts you at risk of having arteriosclerosis. In the named condition, there is cholesterol build up on the walls of the arteries, which causes blood flow resistance. The result is a strain on the arterial walls or the heart, leading to either high blood pressure or the risk of a heart attack.
The sodium in excessive salt or artificial flavors is the other culprit contributing to cardiovascular diseases. Too much consumption of sodium causes the kidneys to retain a lot of water to balance up. The excessive water retained contributes to blood volume resulting in a higher output. Effects of Fast foods. An unsustained blood output can also put pressure on the heart, leading to hypertension.
● Risk Of Cancers
A quick search for health effects of fast food; cancer is sure to make an entry into the list of among the conditions with a high risk. There are several contributing factors, with some studies pointing at the sugars as the blame for the growth of cancerous cells. Effects of Fast foods. Topping up with the fact that most junk food lovers hardly exercise, the risk skyrockets.
The preservatives, mostly going in meat to make it last longer, such as sodium nitrites, have carcinogenic properties. That is, they contribute to the risk of getting cancer. The common cancers you may get form indulgence in junk food are mostly of the organs in the gastrointestinal tract such as mouth, stomach, colon, and rectal cancers.
● Mental Issues
Mental issues are other fast food health risks you need to be aware of. The cognitive and behavioral aspects are the most affected and can have a considerable effect on your day to day life. Reduced cognitive power is one of the results of increased consumption of junk. When it comes to children, the consequences may be more pronounced.
There is also the issue of mood swings, food effects on body due to excessive sugars or caffeine in the case of snacks like chocolate.
● Addiction
Addiction is another impact of junk food you cannot ignore. The food is usually delicious and affects the reward center of the brain. With prolonged exposure to the food, you get dependent on it to appoint of overindulgence, to sort out your addiction. It may lead to risk exposure to some of the lifestyle diseases highlighted above.
Management of Fast Food Consumption For Healthy Living
Seeing that there are both positives and negatives to eating junk, you need a proper diet management schedule to manage the consumption of these meals. Though the negatives outweigh the positives, a state of balance is possible, where moderate consumption is the driving force.
Once a while, you may visit your favorite snacking joint, but order a healthy meal. Aside from your burger or fries, some vegetables can complete the meal. Salads are a good option and opt for meals that are not too greasy. For a drink to wash the meal down, ditch the soda and go for a freshly squeezed glass of fruit juice or a smoothie.
Inactivity after consuming junk is also another problem to look out for as it may lead to obesity and other conditions. Try working out regularly to improve your body’s rate of burning excessive fat for a fit outlook.
Eat Fast Foods Healthily
Fast foods are the result of increased development in society, where there is little time to spend on healthy dining. The food preparation time is quite speedy, which is one fact behind its mainstream appeal.
The problem, however, is the several health complications that come your way when you stick to too much junk. Several ailments may come your way, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular conditions. They are severe conditions that you need to keep away.
Despite their unhealthy tag, some fast foods are healthy and can be part of a satisfying, balanced diet. Also, try working out to maintain a fabulous physique and ensure that you burn out excess fat gained from too much junk, to maintain a level of synchronicity in your body and health.
