Why Is Too Much Fast Food Considered Unhealthy?

Fast food restaurants offer low-priced meals that are rapidly prepared for individuals or families who need quick alternatives to home-cooked food. The preparation methods, ingredients and variety of meal options offered in fast food restaurants tend to be limited nutritionally, and as such, eating fast food on a consistent basis can create a variety of nutrition-related health issues.

Cooking Methods

The majority of fast food entrees include high fat, fried foods that often have added salt, such as hamburgers, breaded chicken patties and french fries. While many restaurants do provide healthier alternatives, such as grilled meats or salads, if you are eating too many meals that include the higher-fat options it's likely you will be consuming excess oils and salt.

Portion Control

Another major issue with fast food is that restaurants design adult meals to offer very large portions. Diners who are not well-educated in portion control may not realize that a "super-sized" meal may actually contain more than one portion of protein or several portions of french fries. This typically leads to excess calorie consumption and weight gain.

Ingredients

In many cases the ingredients used to prepare fast food selections are limited to protein and starch, with few fresh vegetables or whole grains. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid recommends that individuals follow a balanced diet, including servings of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole-grain breads, cereals and pastas. The majority of fast food selections do not include this variety of foods, and as such, if you are frequently consuming fast food meals it is likely you will not be meeting your full nutritional needs.

Health Risks

A 2004 report from the National Institutes of Health found that eating at a fast food restaurant more than twice per week is associated with a higher risk of weight gain and obesity-related health issues, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The high-fat and high-sodium content of fast food meals, in addition to the high-sugar content of beverages, makes it very difficult to eat in a healthy manner if you consistently dine at fast food restaurants.