Fast Food and Obesity

by Melissa Darcey on June 15, 2017

Did you know that 75¾ of the American population is likely to be overweight and obese by
2020? According to the Centers for Disease and Disease Control and Prevention, 36%
American adults and 17% of the under 19 American youth is obese. Obesity has taken the
shape of an epidemic in the USA and is leading to major health complications such as
premature deaths and illnesses like heart diseases, diabetes, fatty liver, arthritis, gall bladder
diseases and joint disorders. You must have heard that one of the leading causes of obesity is
junk food. Junk food and obesity are considered to go hand in hand. Plenty of colorful bill
boards and ads of fast food joints with their attractive and delicious offerings are constantly
tempting people. Fast food is cheap, convenient and easily available. The “Drive Ins” ensures
that that one does not need to disembark the vehicle even to get the food. People are
becoming obese because of lack of self-control and hard work.

Obesity and Calorie Intake

Increase in calorie intake and inadequate physical activity are the leading factors of obesity.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the intake of calories in
the US population is increasing every passing year. The numbers have risen alarmingly in the
past decade.

Causes of Fast Food Obesity

Fast food obesity has strikingly increased in many countries because of the easy availability
of fast food in the grocery shops, gas stations and dispensers everywhere. So it is difficult to
escape from the lure of these delicious advertisements and showcases.
With the increasing accessibility of fast food and high competition among the various fast
food joints, fast food obesity has become a major problem for many countries to deal with.
Although there are genetic reasons for obesity, people are mainly affected because lack of
self-control.
The fast food joints have a compelling selling proposition whereby they upgrade your
ordered food to include more options or a bigger sized soda for a minimum additional
amount. This is a strategy to increase sales along with increasing consumer loyalty. But in
this deal, it is the consumer who is hurt the most.
Besides the above reasons, lifestyle also plays an important role in making people obese.
People with high ambitions or working hard to achieve a comfortable lifestyle, many a times
are pressed for time and ignore their diet and health by resorting to fast and convenient meals.
Environment also has a great impact on the fast food obesity. Majority of people have
accepted passive fast food consumption as a part of their life style.

How Can Fast Food Cause Obesity?

Some scientists claim that fast food causes obesity by encouraging the sense of intentional
overeating. A close explanation to the claim made by scientists explains that fast foods are
foods with 150% more of high density energy than any other traditional meal. High density
foods, experts explain, have a tendency to compel people to intake more calories than needed
by the body.
Fast foods are also said to contain high amounts of sugar, oil, flour and sodium or salt which
are all significant contributors to the condition of obesity.
Fast foods which are usually fried preparations are contributing factors to indigestion and
acidity. Metabolic malfunction arising from the frequent intake of fast foods can result in
uncontrolled overeating tendencies that can be the leading cause of weight gain or obesity.
They are mostly fried in saturated or transfats. Trans-fats are man-made fats. You can find on
the labels of many manufactured foods the words “partially hydrogenated”. This means that
the manufacturer added hydrogen to a polyunsaturated fat, making it a tran fat. When fat
becomes more saturated, it becomes stiffer and more solid as in butter or margarine. Trans-
fats are also less likely to go rancid, and thus have a longer shelf-life. Eating fast foods that
contain this can make you gain more weight and become more fat.
They contain food additives or taste enhancers. Such an ingredient present in any fast food is
a salt called Ajinamoto. Chemically, it is called Monosodium glutamate or MSG. Research
studies have revealed that MSG is an Excitotoxin. These are substances that stimulate the
cells in the brain called the Neurons. As a result, they get damaged and die. Unfortunately,
there is no mechanism in humans which can separate this toxin substance from the blood and
stop it from entering the brain. The region of the brain affected by this is called
Hypothalamus. The damage caused to this section of the brain leads to abnormalities in the
body. One such abnormality is Obesity. A research study has confirmed that the main reason
for childhood obesity in the United States is the early exposure of children to Excitotoxin rich
food items. Some of the other complications associated with early exposure to MSG are
sleeping difficulties, impaired growth and emotional problems.
Moreover, fast foods are deficient in fiber which are essential for proper digestion and help in
preventing constipation and irregular bowel movements.

Obesity related health problems

Obesity may lead to health problems like diabetes, severe cardiac problems and various other
health problems. Experts claim fast foods taken twice or more in a week can cause you to
gain as much as 10 pounds at a go. Scientists and doctors have clearly exhibited that regular
consumption of unhealthy food and reduced physical activity result in obesity. Along with the
developed western countries, many eastern countries are also dealing with this problem. The
trend of moving away from traditional and home cooked healthy diets, eastern countries like
China, Japan etc. are also affected by the fast food obesity.

How are Childhood Obesity and Fast Food Obesity related?

Nearly 1/3rd of the children in the United States eat fast food regularly and there is a close
relation between the fast food restaurants and obesity. This increases the risk of obesity in
children. The numbers are increasing at an alarming rate and you need not be surprised
because billions of dollars are spent by the fast food advertising center says Dr. David
Ludwig, the director for the obesity program at the children’s hospital Boston. So, there is a
close knit relation between fast food restaurants and obesity.
Dr. Ludwig further adds on saying that the intake of fast food has increased more than five-
fold since the 1970. The Nationally Representative study has included boys and girls
throughout the country with different socio-economic backgrounds. The highest amount of
consuming fast foods were among those children with higher income levels, which included
older children, boys and blacks. The lower levels were found among the people residing in
the western rural areas, Hispanics but, more than twenty percent of the youngsters were still
reported eating fast food.
Fast food that are being made by the restaurants had more fats, carbohydrates, sugars and few
fruits, vegetables and they were non-starchy and because of their consumption they are
adding 187 calories per day, which can add up to six pounds every year. The data given is
based on the children who were questioned during the government surveys from the year
1994 to 1996 and 1998.
In the present, children’s level of consuming fast food is even higher and is increasing at an
acclerating rate. This is mainly due to the increase in the fast food restaurants and marketing
of such food since late 1990.

7 Major Fast Foods Contributing to Obesity

Here is a list of 7 major fast foods which are calorie laden, highly tempting and mainly
contribute to the obesity:
1. Doughnuts
It’s really difficult to resist the tempting smell of doughnuts. Basically doughnuts are fried,
packed full with sugar and lot of fats. An average doughnut contains around 400 calries and
other nutrients besides fat. According to many nutritionists, eating lot of refined sugars add to
blood sugar fluctuations.
2. Cheeseburger with French fries
The combination may sound delicious but it is packed with a lot of saturated fats. Saturated
fats are found to contribute to strokes, heart attacks and few types of cancers. A regular
Mcdonald’s cheeseburger contains about 300 calories and around 240 calories are present in
one serving of French fries. Beside saturated fats and calories, cheeseburgers are rich source
of artery clogging bad LDL cholesterol, sodium and Trans fat. Sodium causes water retention
and can lead to weight gain.
3. Chicken Nuggets and Fried Chicken
A single serving almost contains 420 calories. It is also rich in sodium and saturated fat.
Research show that food cooked in highly heated oils can cause weight gain, cancer and other
serious health problems.
4. Ready to Eat Lunches
Easily and most conveniently available ready to eat packages of meals are highly unhealthy.
These kinds of lunches available in the market are packed with sodium and saturated fats.
5. Sugary Cereal
These cereals are highly processed and hence they no longer carry any nutrition of the grains
from which they are made. Moreover, these cereals are loaded with added sugar. A better and
healthy alternative for these cereals would be steel cut oatmeal rich in fiber
6. Processed Meats
Sausages, hot dogs, bacon, jerky and lunch meats are included in this category. All these
processed meats are full of sodium nitrate which is added as a preservative. According to the
recent studies, these sodium nitrate act as a carcinogen causing cancer.
7. Canned Soup
Canned soups are promoted as healthy foods but they are found to have high levels of
artificial preservatives like MSG, sodium and Transfats.

Here are some keys to choose your fast food wisely.

Keep Portion Sizes Small for Fast Food
When there is availability of several sandwich sizes, take the smallest one. You may share a
serving with a friend or order half of a sandwich, if available. Avoid hamburgers with two or
three beef patties. It gives more than 1,000 calories and 70 grams of fat. Instead, choose a
regular hamburger with a single patty, which gives you 250 to 300 calories. Also, avoid large
serving of French fries or onion rings. Instead select a small serving. It saves about 300
calories.
Choose a Healthier Side Dish
Take healthy side dishes offered at fast-food restaurants. For example, instead of French fries
take a side salad with low-fat dressing. You can also add a yogurt or fruit bowl as an option.
Other healthy choices are apple sauce or apple slices, corn on the cob, mandarin oranges,
steamed rice or baked potato chips.
Take More Greens
Select a large entree salad with grilled chicken, shrimp or garden vegetables with a fat-free or
low-fat dressing on the side. Avoid high-calorie salads, such as those with deep fried shells or
those topped with breaded chicken or other fried toppings. Also, avoid salad extras such as
cheese, bacon bits, croutons and fried chips that increase your calorie count.
Opt for Grilled Food
Avoid food items like fried and breaded foods, such as crispy chicken sandwiches and
breaded fish fillets. They are high in fat and calories. Instead, select lean cuts of meats such
as turkey or chicken breast, lean ham and have them grilled or roasted such as lean roast beef.
Do it Your Way
Go for healthier options and substitutions. For example, get reduced-fat mayonnaise or extra
virgin olive oil or mustard on your sandwich. Request salsa along with your meal instead of
shredded cheese and nacho cheese sauce. Try to go light on cream based dressings, sour
cream, tartar sauce and other high-calorie condiments.
Watch What You Drink
Your beverage may contain large number of calories. For example, a large soda of 32 ounces
gives you about 400 calories. Instead of it, order diet soda, unsweetened iced tea, sparkling
water or mineral water. Also, avoid shakes and other ice cream drinks, which can contain
more than 1,000 calories.