Fast food refers to ready-to-go packed meals that aim to make life convenient for busy consumers. Along with the rise of fast food restaurants, the rates of cancer and obesity have also increased. The meal choices in fast food restaurants are vast, but so are their calorie counts and fat content. Fast foods generally contain saturated fats and some trans fat, and are high in carbohydrates. The World Health Organization states that factors contributing to obesity include, "A global shift in diet towards increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and sugars but low in vitamins." People can reduce or prevent obesity by shifting caloric intake away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and more nutritious food.
Hamburgers
Hamburgers from fast food restaurants, such as McDonald's and Burger King, are very high in saturated fats, which can be detrimental to your health and waistline. Additional ingredients like cheese, bacon and mayonnaise only increase the weight gain potential. They elevate your fat and calorie intake, and can also damage your heart. Eating buns along with the bad fats will cause your insulin levels to spike, which will cause your body to store the fat, rather than burn it for energy.
French Fries
French fries come with every main dish offered in fast food chains, from burgers to fried chicken. Despite the fact that they taste great, French fries are extremely high in sodium and trans fat. They are high in calories as well, and a large order of French fries may contain between 500 and 600 calories. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, French fries have been associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. They are also high in starchy carbohydrates, which can increase fat storage.
Pizza
Pizza can be a healthy option, but only if its ingredients are nutritionally healthy. A whole wheat crust can make the pizza healthy, as can vegetarian toppings. Fast food chains like Domino's and Pizza Hut use an excess of cheeses and highly saturated fatty meats as toppings, with white flour used for the crusts. According to the Mayo Clinic, pizza may cause a delay in carbohydrate absorption for two or three hours, making blood sugar shoot up for up to eight hours after eating the pizza. Diabetics should probably not eat pizza from fast food venues.
References
- Mayo Clinic: With diabetes, eating pizza not always a treat
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Potato and French fry consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in women
- World Health Organization: Obesity and overweight
- Thomson Reuters: Junk food addiction may be clue to obesity: study
- National Bureau of Economic Research: Do Fast Food Restaurants Contribute to Obesity?
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