Heart disease is the main cause of death for Americans, according to the American Heart Association. As of 2010, 36.9 percent of Americans had some form of cardiovascular disease, and that number is expected to gradually increase to 40.5 percent by 2030. Two main risk factors are obesity and high blood pressure. While there are many problem areas in the American diet that lead to these two risk factors, fast food is a significant one. With its convenience, it is easy to include fast food in the busy American diet, but consequences to the heart come along with this form of eating.
Fat
Many items on fast food menus are cooked in deep fryers filled with saturated and trans fats. These types of fat are linked to high levels of blood cholesterol, which can cause heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends keeping your daily trans fat intake below one percent of the total amount of calories you consume, which is 2 g on a 2,000-calorie diet. The AHA notes that one donut can add 3.2 g of trans fats and that one large serving of french fries adds 6.8 g of trans fats to your diet. You should also have no more than 7 percent of your daily calories from saturated fats.
Lack of Healthy Options
Many fast food restaurants have a lack of healthy options in place of trans and saturated fats, although some do offer baked potatoes, apple slices and similar choices. Even if a restaurant notes that they use vegetable oil for frying, they often use hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is a trans fat. Even salads often include fried chicken on top and the baked potatoes are loaded with cheese, butter or bacon, which are all high in saturated fat.
Special Population Concerns
Fast food items are loaded with salt and many with sugar as well. Soda is the drink that automatically comes with the combo meals. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, these are of special concern to you, although these factors are also concerns to the larger population. High blood pressure and diabetes are both risk factors for heart disease.
Solutions
Instead of getting sucked in by the greasy options available to you, use resolve to choose healthier options many fast-food chains now offer. Choose grilled chicken and burgers over fried, choose plain baked potatoes or fruit sides over french fries, choose salads with grilled chicken and watch the dressing. Hold the soda and dessert. Avoid ordering the next size up even if it only costs an extra 30 cents. Choose whole-grain buns and choose toppings such as lettuce and tomato over cheese and bacon. Finally, ask the restaurant for the nutrition information, so you can make an informed decision.
