Eating fast food is completely
routine for many individuals --- often heading to a drive-thru multiple
times per week, or even multiple times per day. While eating fast food
is unquestionably convenient, the price you pay in terms of your health
for that convenience is simply too high.
Obesity
The
CARDIA, or coronary artery disk development in young adults, study was
performed by members of the University of Minnesota School of Public
Health and the Children's Hospital Boston. It found that individuals who
ate fast food at least twice per week gained about 10 more pounds of
extra weight than individuals who ate fast food less than weekly, The
study also found that the high fat and calorie content in fast food
means those who eat it regularly face an increased risk of obesity and
other weight-related conditions.
Diseases from Fast Food
The
high levels of calories, fat and sodium in most fast food can
eventually lead to other health problems. For example, a study published
in the "Journal of the American Heart Association" found that eating
significant amounts of fast food can contribute to atherosclerosis,
another term for clogged arteries, which can increase your risk of
conditions like heart attack and stroke. Fast food can also contribute
to an increased risk of arthritis, sleep apnea, some kinds of cancer,
diabetes and liver disease.
Nutritional Value Tradeoffs
As
an example, one popular fast food hamburger contains about 540 calories
and 29 g of fat. It contains 10 g of saturated fat and 1.5 g of trans
fat. The sodium content is 1,040 g. However, the hamburger does contain
about 25 g of protein, with 6 percent of your recommended intake for
vitamin A, 2 percent for vitamin C and 25 percent each of calcium and
iron. You pay a very high price in negative dietary elements, though,
like calories, fat and sodium, for relatively small amounts of
nutritional value.
Packaging Risk
According
to a 2010 article for the "Huffington Post" by Dr. Joseph Mercola, many
of the wrappers and packaging materials used to contain fast food are
coated with perfluoroalkyls. Perfluoroalkyls are a type of chemical that
can repel both oil and water, preventing grease from the food from
soaking through the packaging. However, these chemicals are actually
toxic to humans, and prolonged exposure can lead to increased risk of
cancer, tumors, infertility and other health conditions.
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