The Effects of Fast Food on the Body

Does fast food save time?

In the short term, yes. In the long-term? No.

Your body has to deal with the consequences of what you eat. Fast food eats time. Slow food saves time. Without your health, you’re out of time.

Fast food?is a type of?mass produced designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service.

It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a?restaurants?or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredients and served in packaging for?take-out /takeaway.

Fast food was created as a commercial strategy to accommodate large numbers of busy commuters, travelers and?wage workers.

Fast food is a common meal option, but it’s high in calories and low in nutrients.

Eating too much of it could affect nearly all parts of your body.

In this fast paced world, where people have busy routines and busier social lives, it becomes difficult for working individuals to take time out to prepare food or wait for their meal in lavish restaurants.

They turn to fast food to save time not really thinking what it does to their health in the long run. It is understandable that such eating habits can sometimes be unavoidable given individual circumstances but it is still worthwhile to understand fast food advantages and disadvantages.

Disclaimer:?The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensure discussion or debate.

Thank you ….They wouldn’t call it fast food if they weren’t known to save time and energy. People do not have to go to the grocery store to buy ingredients and then come home to prepare their meals.

For someone who doesn’t cook, a lot of time and energy goes into the thankless job of washing meat and vegetables, cooking and after all is said and done, washing the dishes.

Most fast food, including drinks and sides, are loaded with?carbohydrates with little to no fiber.

When your?digestive system?breaks down these foods, the carbs are released as?glucose?(sugar) into your bloodstream. As a result, your?blood sugar increases.

Your?pancreas?responds to the surge in glucose by releasing?insulin. Insulin transports sugar throughout your body to cells that need it for energy. As your body uses or stores the sugar, your blood sugar returns to normal.

This blood sugar process is highly regulated by your body. As long as you’re healthy, your organs can usually handle these sugar spikes.

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Frequently eating?high amounts of carbs can lead to repeated spikes in your blood sugar.

Over time, these insulin spikes may cause your body’s normal insulin response to falter. This increases your risk of?insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and?weight gain.

Sugar and fat

Many fast food meals have added?sugar. That means extra calories without added nutrition.

Many fast food drinks alone contain more than the daily recommended amount of sugar. A?12 –ounce can?of Coca-Cola contains 9.75 teaspoons of sugar. That equals 140 calories, 39 grams of sugar, and no other nutrients.

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Another common fast food ingredient,?trans fat, is manufactured fat created during food processing. It’s commonly found in:

Fried pies

Pastries

Pizza dough

Crackers

Cookies

No amount of trans fat is good or healthy. Eating foods that contain it can increase your?LDL?(bad cholesterol), lower your?HDL (good cholesterol), and increase your risk of?type 2 diabetes and?heart disease.

Sodium

The combination of fat, sugar, and lots of?sodium?(salt) can make fast food tastier to some people. But diets high in sodium can lead to?water retention, which is why you may feel puffy,?bloated, or swollen after eating fast food.

A diet high in sodium is also dangerous for people with?blood?conditions. Sodium can elevate blood pressure and put stress on your?heart?and cardiovascular system.

Keep in mind that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends adults eat no more than?2,300 milligrams?of sodium per day. More than?70% of sodium comes from processed foods and restaurant meals.

Effect on the respiratory system

Excess calories from fast food meals can cause weight gain. This may lead toward?obesity.

Obesity increases your risk of respiratory problems, including?asthma and?shortness of breath.

The extra pounds can put pressure on your heart and?lungs, and symptoms may show up even with little exertion. You may notice?difficulty breathing when you’re walking, climbing stairs, or exercising.

Restaurants may increase the challenge of?calorie counting.?People often inaccurately estimate the number of calories of menu items.

Effect on the central nervous system

Your central nervous system consists of your brain and spinal cord. These areas of your body may also see an impact from eating fast food.

?Among college students, eating higher amounts of fast food (and, interestingly, salad) was linked to a lower short-term memory score.

Effect on the reproductive system

The ingredients in junk food and fast food may have an impact on your?fertility.

Processed food contains?phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals that can interrupt?how hormones act ??in your body. Exposure to high levels of these chemicals could lead to reproductive issues, including?developmental issues for fetus.

Effect on the integumentary system (skin, hair, and nails)

The foods you eat may impact your?skin appearance.

Dairy,?chocolate, foods high in fat, and foods with a high?glycemic index?(carbohydrates and sugar) were associated with?acne, though more studies need to be done. These foods are often present in fast food.

On the other hand, the research suggested that eating fruits, vegetables, and fatty acids (found in fish and olive oil) helped?protect against acne.

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