Essay Sample on Fast Food: A Major Component of the American Diet?

Introduction

Fast food is now a major component of the American diet. On any given day from 2013 up to 2017, about 37 percent of adults in the United States consumed fast food (Fuhrman 376). Despite containing huge amounts of calories and low levels of nutrients, over a third of Americans indulge in this kind of food on a daily basis. This trend aligns with growing epidemics of Type 2 diabetes and obesity in the US. Fast food has played a crucial role in Americans' diet in recent decades and has been linked to poor diet and susceptibility to obesity. This essay looks into health effects of fast food diets on Americans. It will explore and describe how Americans' love of fast food is creating unhealthy lifestyles and health problems.

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Junk food can be defined as any foodstuff that is highly processed, low in nutrients and high in calories. It also usually contains large amounts of added saturated fats, sugars, and salt. Junk foods are sometimes considered to be as addictive as drugs and alcohol. The term 'fast food' refers to foodstuffs that can quickly be prepared and eaten, often as takeaways. While there is increasing number of healthier junk food options, the vast majority of fast foods can still be categorized as junk food. There is a prevalent myth that fast food consumption is associated with poverty. The notion is that Americans who earn less depend more on fast foods since it offers a cheap and readily available source of calories. The truth is that the higher an individual's income, the more likely he or she to consume junk food. The percentage of grownups that eat fast food on a daily basis increases with family income (Mendonca 1435).

Junk food is virtually perceived as a staple of the America diet, and this is where the problem lies. In addition to being associated with high calorie levels, fast food is also linked to a poor quality of diet as it is high in cholesterol and fat but low in nutrients. Over time, such a poor diet can result in obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Also, consuming fast food on a regular basis can have other unexpected side effects. Research studies show a link between consuming junk food and more susceptibility to asthma, pollen fever and eczema. Others found that individuals who consumed the most junk food had at least 40 percent more phthalate levels than those who consumed the least. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics that are potentially harmful to humans. Fast food can also affect a person's mood. Studies show a link between junk food consumption and a bigger risk of depression (Jiao et al 171).

When considering how fast food affects a consumer's health, it is worth looking at what he or she is not getting by eating it. While a piece of junk food can contain bread and some proteins, it lacks vegetables and the nutrients associated with them. For instance, a sandwich is usually made up of a single tomato and lettuce leaf, meaning it does not contain sufficient nutrients. In addition, it rarely contains healthy plant-based proteins such as peas and beans. For carbohydrates, junk food may have white bread but no quality grains like brown rice or quinoa. Also, most junk food lack fiber, meaning their consumption is likely to cause constipation.

Together with fast food consumption, little or no physical exercise is the other cause of the rapidly diminishing health of Americans both young and old. According to studies, 60 percent of American grownups do not get the recommended amount of physical exercise and activity. To make matters worse, about 25 percent of don't engage in any exercise at all. Given the hectic lifestyles that most Americans lead, there are a number of reasons they don't exercise. If an individual has a schedule full of demanding jobs and family time, exercise may be the last thing on his or her to-do list.

Busy schedules are the top reason why people do not engage in exercise. Irrespective of whether it is work-related or due to family, many Americans are unable to fit exercise to a jam-packed schedule. Another notable reason is a dislike for exercise. A person may hate exercise because they feel it is unpleasant, painful or boring. Lack of funds also hinders Americans from exercising. A limited budget may mean an individual cannot afford gym membership. In some cases, exercise just does not seem to work. Thus, some individuals may easily get bored with a certain exercise routine or give up on it if they feel to see tangible or obvious results.

There is no denying that technology has transformed people's lives in many ways, changing the ways they live, work, and relax. All in all, a notable implication that the advances in modern technology has had involves its impact on people's physical health. Technology appears to have a major impact on Americans' physical health. For instance, spending huge amounts of time watching television or accessing social media via mobile devices can cause a wide range of health problems. Technology has also minimized physical hardships and boosted worker productivity, although this has grave implications on the human physical body. In the absence of physical activity, the body cannot function at its optimal capacity, resulting in a myriad of health issues. Physical inactivity comes second in causing the highest number of preventable deaths, the first being smoking. Studies show an association between lack of physical activity with digital technology whereby American children and adolescents spend a lot of time in front of screens. There is a positive correlation between a child being obese and amount of time he or she spends watching television.

Another phenomenon related to fast foods and their impact on Americans' lives involves fad diets. A fad diet is a rather popular way of losing weight. It typically promises quick weight loss and numerous health benefits despite not having any scientific proof to support its use. To make matters worse, fad diets are often characterized by nutritional imbalance, meaning they are ineffective in the long term. Given the obsession with weight in the society, it is not surprising that millions of Americans are falling prey to phony weight loss products and fad diets. Hype by 'experts,' testimonials and conflicting claims can confuse even the smartest consumers. The truth is that if a fad diet or weight loss product sounds to be true, then most probably it is. No diets, pills or foods exist that are capable of magically burning fat. There are no super foods that will alter the consumer's genetic code.

Obesity resulting from excessive consumption of fast food can severely damage an individual's quality of life, often causing depression and restricting their movements. It is thus understandable obese individuals will try anything to shed weight. Among the most common interventions involves weight loss surgery. Also referred to as bariatric surgery, this involves a series of surgical procedures that the individual can undergo that enables them reduce their food intake and eventually lose weight. There are three main widely used bariatric surgery procedures: gastric banding, gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy. The bypass is the most widely applied procedure and involves manipulating the digestive system in a way that suppresses hunger.

It is worth looking at the long term effect of fast food consumption. There is sufficient evidence to prove that consuming fast food on a regular basis can be harmful to a person's health. A reason for this is that most junk food contains huge amounts sugars, salts, trans fats, saturated fats, calories and processed ingredients. In contrast, it is low in fiber, antioxidants, and various other nutrients. The vast majority of fast food meals contain very low amounts of fiber. A low-fiber diet is closely linked to higher susceptibility to digestive conditions like diverticular disease and constipation together with fewer amounts of healthy gut bacteria.

Works Cited

Cadario, Romain. "The impact of health claims and food deprivation levels on health risk perceptions of fast-food restaurants." Social Science & Medicine 149 (2016): 130-134.

Fuhrman, Joel. "The Hidden Dangers of Fast and Processed Food." American journal of lifestyle medicine 12.5 (2018): 375-381.

Jiao, Junfeng, et al. "Health implications of adults' eating at and living near fast food or quick service restaurants." Nutrition & diabetes 5.7 (2015): e171.

Mendonca, Raquel de Deus, et al. "Ultraprocessed food consumption and risk of overweight and obesity: the University of Navarra Follow-Up (SUN) cohort study." The American journal of clinical nutrition 104.5 (2016): 1433-1440.