Long
before, food-on-the-go retail chains lined the streets of America;
comfort food was a home-cooked meal. The comfort food of many
Americans has been replaced by fast foods. Despite its expedient
convenience and availability, there are not many health benefits
in fast foods. The efficiency at which these foods are made
is not the problem.
For starters, fast
foods are highly concentrated in fat and calories. Dissimilar
to the essentials of a well-balance diet that includes fruits
and vegetables, these foods are void of vividly colored fruits
and vegetables. Since French fries do not account for vegetables,
Americans are eating fewer vegetables than they are consuming
fast food. The outcome results in diminished intakes of nutrients.
Moreover, without the aid of fiber-rich vegetables, there is
a propensity amongst people who eat fast food – to consume more
high-fat foods.
A facet of the fast
food issue can be identified in our perceptions about food.
For instance, one study revealed that many fast food eaters
are oblivious about the risks of cancer associated with foods
lacking in nutritional value. Then, there is the propensity
of people engaging in ‘passive over-consumption’. Because the
body is unable to automatically detect that smaller portions
are appropriate with meals high in calories, over-eating transpires.
Not to mention, the large coke or soda that comes with these
meals, increase the calorie load by a minimum of 100 calories.
In a research study
on teenager’s eating habits, the results depicted that leaner
adolescents were less apt to eat throughout the duration of
the day if they consumed fast food than their overweight colleagues.
Also, the study showed overweight teens over indulges fast food
more dramatically than the leaner youngsters. |
