Fast food has become the world’s most popular substitute for eating at home in cities around the world. It is an American original invented and grown in the United States. It is a detailed reflection of American attitudes and culture. It is tasty, convenient, inexpensive and fast, a factor that makes it appreciated by millions of people who consume it on a daily basis. What also makes it popular is the fact that there is no preparation required before meals and no dishes to clean afterwards. Researchers note that it is so popular that today up to half of all food expenditures are spent on it in the United States.
Most people know that to eat healthy it is necessary and important to avoid smoking, abandon a sedentary lifestyle and eat healthy. Fast food contributes to chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and general cardiovascular ailments. It also plays an important role in weight gain and obesity. Its effects are so pronounced that Americans have more body fat now than any other population at any time in human history. Data from the CDC in the United States shows that 71 percent of all men in the United States are obese and more than 62 percent of women. The scourge is also rampant among children and adolescents.
It would seem that the great taste, low cost, and convenience of fast food come to haunt its lovers. Much of what people eat does not contribute to a healthy weight in any way. Instead, it is a source of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. There are notable differences between two groups of people, namely those who eat a lot of fast foods and those who don’t. For starters, people who eat fast foods consume more dietary fat and saturated fat. They have more body fat. They eat fewer fruits and vegetables. A 15-year study concluded that eating take out was linked to diabetes and weight gain.
Studies show that people who reside near many fast food restaurants are likely to eat more fit. Research in Canada reinforced this thinking by adding another dimension to it. It showed that people who lived near many take-out restaurants were also prone to heart disease and premature death. Another study showed a correlation between the number of these restaurants per square mile and obesity. The states in the United States that had the highest concentration of outlets per square mile also had the highest rates of obesity.