fast food is bad for your health essay

Fast Food Effects on Human Health

Fast food poses a profound negative impact on health due to the dynamic preparation means and the reliance on carbohydrates. Apart from the reuse of oils, a significant percentage of junk lacks a balanced diet for consumers. The phenomenon results in the ideological perspectives of increased obesity and the emergence of lifestyle diseases. This research utilizes analytical methodologies in comparing previous records between 2019 and 2021 to determine the effect of fast foods on individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic era. Further, the researcher integrates certain values encompassing gender, age, ethnicity, and range of income. Although the TEAM experienced limitations concerning subjective responses posing higher bias scores, they alleviated the incumbent by using descriptive and inferential statistics. During modeling, the significant variant is logical regression against cross-validation.

Introduction

The popularity and consumption rate of fast-food restaurants is one of the trending issues in cities and towns. The ease engulfs the concept of low costs, desired taste, hasty preparation, and convenient locations (Fryar et al., 2020). Primarily, the cafeteria emergence offers an ultimate solution regarding feeding habits. However, it is a phenomenon that also increases the rate of health risks among consumers. The consistent use of the suet at high temperatures leads to the breaking down the chemical compounds into significantly toxic elements for the human body. Although fast food offers an ultimate convenient solution to dieting, it is a multidimensional phenomenon that increases consumers’ health risks.

Factors that Influence Effect of Fast Food

One of the issues posed in fast food restaurants is the primary use of the deep-frying cooking technique. A significant percentage of the meal preparation approaches optimize frizzling as the fastest and most convenient catering service (Fryar et al., 2020). To boost the profit margin, the chef uses less oil to sear the food in large amounts. In some cases, the cook recycles the oil cause of economic sustenance. However, the utilization determines the rate of health risk to the consumers due to the breaking down of the chemical compounds.

Project Overview

Project objectives.

There is a proficient dataset corresponding to the research question, “Effect of fast food on human health.” The dataset includes food price comparisons, health metrics, and obesity statistics. The source material relates to the research question encompassing the dynamic effect of junk eating on individuals. In this case, the article provides an in-depth analysis of the variation across sexuality and ethnic groups concerning the feeding habits and the attributable causes of the lifestyle (Fryar et al., 2020). The organization in charge of the contextual baseline for the publication is National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which manages data collection concerning the well-being index among Americans.

NCHS is a component of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that focuses on assessing the impact of lifestyle illnesses on nationalities. It is a practice that profoundly provides insights into the significant medical issues and the causative agents across the population. Fryar et al.’s (2020) report is a compilation of the comparative approach concerning the 2015 to 2018 records on the impact of fast food on people along the gradient of age, gender, and ethnic diversity. The sample size will be determined by the population metrics of the data sources. The research fosters the overview of critical variables relevant in this study involving the eminence of fatty foods and the intermittent consequence of obesity.

Analytic Questions

• Is it cheaper to eat fast food than home-cooked meals?
• Does fast food damage your mental health as well as your physical health?
• What is fast food’s contribution to obesity in the US?

Specific Details

This study will use information from 2019 to 2021 as the primary data source for analysis concerning the impact of fast food on the human body. The analysis focuses on the trickle-down effect on the lifestyle among the nationalities. Therefore, the survey will include the US due to the proficient impact of the practice among the residents. Three rows and instances will be used in order to include three key metrics. The data features involve evaluating the relationship between feeding habits from convenient restaurants and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The advent of coronavirus led to the lockdown of American and other global nations’ economies.

Data Wrangling

The number of rows will be three for a better comprehension of the discussion subject. The critical data features incorporated in the final project enshrine a comparison of the gender, age, ethnicity, and income differential range relative to the tendencies to consume products from a cafeteria. The marginalization under the mainframe of such inequities as education, occupation, and income cause the interdependence between convenient cafeteria outlets and poor households.

The TEAM intends to use logical regression in the exploration of the findings and justification of the objectives. It is an entity that engulfs the intersectionality of statistical overview against the logistics from the realm. During the data collection process, the significant errors involve the subjective interpretation of respondents’ attitudes toward dieting that risks bias. However, the TEAM will utilize descriptive and inferential statistics to complete the phase. The transformation used by the TEAM involved the utilization of several datasets within a closed time period to establish the key variable of objectivity during the data analysis.

The assessment approach renders the comprehension concerning the goals of the study on the impact of fast food on healthy living among people. Different aspects contribute to the dynamic effect of the framework among the personalities hence the importance of understanding the impact on mental health, obesity, and cost-efficiency.

Fryar, C., Carroll, M., Ahluwalia, N., & Ogden, C. (2020). Fast food intake among children and adolescents in the United States, 2015-2018 . NCHS Data Brief . Web.

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An opinion essay about fast food.

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The Hidden Dangers of Fast and Processed Food *

The fundamental concern as we look to reform health in America is the known reality that most chronic diseases that afflict Americans are predominantly lifestyle induced; and the belief is that the vast majority of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented if people were willing to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors. In addition, healthy lifestyles would impact a significant number of cancers which are also believed to be related to lifestyle exposures, especially to obesity, cigarettes, and other toxins.

Over the past 50 years, the health of Americans has gotten worse, and now 71% of Americans are overweight or obese—not 66%, which was reported 5 years ago. 1 That means a staggering 100 million people in America are obese. Today, eating processed foods and fast foods may kill more people prematurely than cigarette smoking. 2

Authorities determined the 71% figure by classifying people with a body mass index (BMI) over 25 kg/m 2 as overweight or obese. Yet in long-lived societies such as in the “Blue Zones” (Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica; and Loma, Linda California) and wherever we find groups of centenarians, we observe a healthy BMI below 23 kg/m 2 , not 25 kg/m 2 . If we use above 23 kg/m 2 as the demarcation for overweight or obesity, then we find that 88% of Americans are overweight. And out of the approximately 10% that are of normal weight, the majority of those so-called “normal weight individuals” are either cigarette smokers, or suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction or dependency, autoimmune disease, occult cancers, inflammatory disorders, autoimmune conditions, digestive disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and other illnesses that lower their body weight. Therefore, perhaps that only about 5% of the American population is at a normal weight as a result of eating healthy and living a healthy life. A recent study documented that only 2.7% of Americans adopt a relatively healthy lifestyle by combining exercise with healthy eating. 3 The Standard American Diet (SAD) is clearly not a healthy diet.

I use the term “Fast Food Genocide” because most don’t understand the depth and breadth of the harm as a large segment of our society eats a diet worse than the dangerous SAD. Many people recognize that junk food, fast food, processed food, white flour, sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, and all the junk people are eating contribute to in obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, dementia and cancer, but many don’t realize the strong causative role an unhealthy diet may have in mental illness. Currently, 1 in 5 Americans suffers from a psychiatric disorder. And many people don’t realize the harm that processed foods have on Americans living in urban areas where they don’t have easy access to whole, fresh foods.

These unfortunate folks live in what we call “food deserts,” with reduced availability to fresh fruits and vegetables. Because of the limited access to supermarkets, they eat more unhealthy fast and processed foods and end up having 7 times the risk of early-life stroke (before age 45), putting people in nursing homes in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. 4 - 7

The vulnerable poor in these areas also have double the risk of heart attack, double the risk of diabetes, and 4 times the risk of renal failure 8 - 10 ; Unfortunately, the decrease in life span due to food inequality is shocking but rarely discussed. A substantial proportion of people in these urban environments are overweight, prediabetic, or fully diabetic. Researchers determined that compared with other areas in America with easy access to supermarket food, that the YPLL (Years of Potential Life Lost) for an overweight diabetic living in a zone classified as a food desert was a shocking 45 years! 11 , 12

A link may even exist between fast food, processed food, commercial baked goods, and sweets and destruction of brain cell and a lowering of intelligence. Candy and sweetened baked goods may even stimulate the brain in an addictive fashion, which can lead to more serious illnesses.

The nutritional fundamentals accepted by the World Health Organization and most nutritional authorities today include vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and fruit as healthy foods; and salt, saturated fat, and excess sugar as disease causing. Excessive amounts of animal products may lead to premature aging, increased risk of chronic disease and higher all-cause mortality. Multiple studies have been published on hundreds of thousands of people, followed for decades showing that the objective endpoint of death is increased with higher amounts of animal product consumption. 13 - 17 Furthermore, refined carbohydrates may not just lead to being overweight and diabetic but also contribute to dementia, mental illness, and cancer. 18 - 21 There is considerable evidence today that heart disease is not only promoted by saturated fat and increased animal products but also by refined carbohydrates, including white rice, white bread, sugar, honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar. 22 - 25

Research has shown that excess calories shorten lifespan, whereas moderate caloric restriction slows the aging process and protects the body and brain. Americans consume more calories than any other population; and they consume foods, many of which have minimal or no nutritional value (soda and alcohol as examples). So let’s consider the individual who is consuming 50 excess calories per day. What will be the short- and long-term result? Fifty excess calories per day, over and above your basic metabolic needs, over a 10-year period, adds about 50 pounds of extra body weight. The excess weight increases the risk of multiple chronic illnesses, cancers, and also takes many years of life away from the individual simply as a result of consuming only 50 calories a day too many.

Conversely, if an individual consumed 50 calories a day less that their metabolic requirements what would happen then? Would he or she become too thin, anorexic, and unhealthy? Would their bones fall apart? Obviously not! When you moderately caloric-restrict, even a small amount such as 50 to 100 calories a day, weight remains about the same, the person is slim, not too thin, and healthy. He or she will have a lower body fat percentage, and the skeletal mass, bones, and muscle mass are strong. In this scenario, the metabolic rate would slow down accordingly. The respiratory quotient, (the number of calories lost through respiration) would decrease, the body temperature would lower, and thyroid function would decrease slightly, all lowering the metabolic rate, which overall may result in a slowing of the aging process. The secret to a long life and freedom from chronic disease may be simply to moderately reduce calories in order to slow down our metabolic rate. The only behavior proven scientifically to dramatically increase life span in every species of animals, including primates, is to lower caloric intake while maintaining an environment of micronutrient adequacy, assuring that we have exposure to every micronutrient humans need. The American diet is also deficient in antioxidants and phytochemicals that are needed for normal immune function, for maximizing brain health, protecting against dementia, chronic illness, cancer, and premature aging.

A nutritarian diet is designed to establish excellent micronutrient intake without excess calories . A nutritarian diet is designed to help prolong human life span, decrease the risk of cancer, and keep the brain functioning well for many years. This principle is represented by the equation I use: H = N /C, which means your healthy life expectancy (H) is proportional to the micronutrient (N) per calorie intake (C) over your life span. This means that we are encouraged to seek out foods that are rich in nutrients. We should try to limit or exclude empty-calorie foods and drinks. We should also limit or avoid calorically dense foods, and not eat for recreation or when we are not hungry.

A nutritarian diet is rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants. It is a vegetable-based, utilizing a wide assortment of colorful vegetables, root vegetables, green vegetables, peas, beans, mushrooms, onions, nuts, seeds, and some intact whole grains. While the standard American diet and most traditional diets are grain-based and lack sufficient exposure to the broad spectrum of antioxidants and phytochemicals (with their anticancer effects), it is important to note that not all plant-based diets are equally cancer-protective. As an example, a rice-heavy, macrobiotic diet limits phytochemical diversity, and brown rice produced in this country is contaminated with arsenic, extensively documented by Consumer Reports and white rice is refined, high glycemic food, and therefore not a healthy starch.

In comparison, the SAD is almost the opposite of a nutritarian diet. Over 55% of the SAD’s calories are processed foods, and about 33% of calories come from animal products. If we are looking at the amount of fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) consumed in America, the food consumption data reports about 10%; but in actuality, it is less than 5%, because they include French fries and ketchup in the definition of “produce!” The point here is that processed foods such as bread, pasta, salad oil, mayonnaise, doughnuts, cookies, rice cakes, breakfast bars, chips, soda, candy, and popcorn do not contain a significant micronutrient benefit. A piece of chicken is like a bagel, because they are both rich sources of macronutrients (calories), but neither one contains the necessary amounts of micronutrients, especially the antioxidants and phytochemicals only found in plants.

The high glycemic white flour products with added sweetening agents, flood the bloodstream with glucose without fiber, nutrients, or phytochemicals; and these baked goods are also high in acrylamides and advanced glycation end-products, further increasing the glycoproteins in our tissues. The resulting spike in glucose leads to abnormally high amounts of insulin, which will also promote angiogenesis, which fuels the growth of fat cells, increases cellular replication and tumor growth. The liberal amount of animal protein (including chicken which many incorrectly believe is the more healthy meat) consumed by most Americans promotes excessive insulin-like growth factor–1 (IGF-1), making a synergistic “sandwich” of insulin and IGF-1, which may accelerate aging of the brain, interfere with cellular detoxification and repair, and promote cancer. 26 The SAD has created a nutritional disaster and a significant health crisis that will not be solved by governmental “health care reform.”

Now when we think about “fast food” we’re not just referring to the food in fast food restaurants. Fast foods include chips, soda, cookies, candy, breakfast cereals, bars, French fries, burgers, pizza, white flour baked goods, and all other high-calorie, low-nutrient foods that people often eat multiple times per day. These are processed foods and for many, are the primary source of calories. These fast foods have certain characteristics: They can be accessed easily and quickly; they don’t need to be prepared; they come out of a bag or box ready to go right into your mouth. You can eat them rapidly and they’re absorbed very quickly into the bloodstream. These fast foods typically contain multiple chemicals and synthetic ingredients. They are calorically dense, highly flavored, and nutritionally barren. Fast foods typically contain extra corn syrup, sugar, artificial sweeteners, salt, coloring agents, and other potentially disease promoting chemicals.

When calories flood the bloodstream rapidly they have dramatic biological effects. Let’s compare 200 calories of white bread to 200 calories of beans. The white bread would be metabolized into simple sugars (glucose) which enters the bloodstream in 5 to 10 minutes. This requires a rapid increase in insulin; and the rapid insulin response will remain for hours. On the other hand, the carbohydrates from beans will take much more time to be digested and, as a result these calories enter the bloodstream slowly. Essentially, the calories will trickle in over hours. When eating beans, a small amount of glucose enters the blood each minute and therefore you won’t need much of an insulin response to deal with this amount of sugar. As mentioned above, the buildup of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accelerates aging and chronic disease. 27 , 28 When a diabetic suffers from kidney failure, blindness, or a leg amputation, a major causative factor is the buildup of AGEs in the tissues. Interestingly, these same glycated end-products and glycoproteins build up in the tissues of people who are not diabetic but who continually expose themselves to excess sugar and white flour products.

Next, it is important to understand that oils are also processed foods. When consumed, oil enters the bloodstream rapidly similar to high glycemic carbohydrates. Anything cooked in oil should be considered a fast food. Beans, nuts, and seeds are whole foods whose calories are absorbed gradually over hours. In contrast, the calories from oil are absorbed rapidly, and are largely empty calories (with insignificant micronutrients and no fiber)—a combination that leads to obesity, disease, and premature aging.

If I set up a buffet dinner and I asked all the guests to form 2 lines and then gave everyone on the right side a tablespoon of olive oil, and each of those on the left side an apple to consume while they were waiting in line, those who ate the 65-calorie apple will generally eat 65 less calories from the buffet. But those who had the 120-calorie tablespoon of oil will not usually consume 120 calories less. The oil contains neither fiber, nor micronutrients and contains nothing to decrease the appestat. A matter of fact, if you put oil on food, it may actually increase one’s appetite. Not only will these individuals not eat fewer calories—they will eat even more than the 120 calories from the oil. 29 When added or mixed into food, oil drives overeating behavior.

Nutrients and fiber are needed to control the appestat, so you consume a healthy amount of calories. My experience has demonstrated with thousands of patients, the more nutrient and fiber dense your diet becomes the lower your drive to overeat. 30 This is extremely important, because even a moderate amount of extra fat on the body induces more rapid aging and increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. A mild degree of caloric restriction becomes comfortable and achievable when the diet is high in micronutrients and fiber. When you have enough micronutrients and fiber in your diet, you don’t feel driven to overeat. But when you don’t have enough micronutrients and fiber in your diet, you become a food-craving, overeating machine.

Even worse is what happens when you eat food fried in oil because fried food may create carcinogenic and mutagenic aldehydes. 31 Food that is fried such as in a fast food restaurant is usually cooked in oil that has been heated and used multiple times. One serving of French fries or fried chicken that is cooked in a fast food restaurant has 100 times the level of aldehydes designated as safe by the World Health Organization. Even the fumes are so toxic they increase the risk of cancer. People working in restaurants that fry the food, or those working in a movie theater making popcorn, have a heighted risk of lung and other cancers, even if they don’t eat any of the fried foods. 32

The explosion of fast food restaurants has significantly increased the intake of fried foods, and people are now eating 1000 times the amount of soybean oil compared with the early 1900s. 33 Humans never ate 400 calories of oil a day the way people do in America, especially in the Southern states—which are known for the highest stroke and heart attack rates in the world. 34 When you use nuts and seeds as your source of fat as opposed to oil, we see the opposite effect.

The Physician’s Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study, Iowa Women’s Health Study, the Adventist Health Study—any study with large numbers of people followed for decades—demonstrates the relationship between nut and seed consumption and longer life span. We always have to give more credence to clinical research studies that involve large numbers of people followed over decades using objective endpoints such as mortality. When you do that, you find that people who consume nuts and seeds regularly have lower cancer rates, lower cardiovascular death rates, lower sudden cardiac death, less irregular heartbeats, and an increase in life span.

A 2015 meta-analysis that included over 44 000 deaths demonstrated an almost 40% decrease in cardiovascular mortality for people eating nuts and seeds regularly (one serving a day). The European PreviMed study, which randomized 7216 individuals to nuts or olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet showed a 39% decrease in all-cause mortality in the nut eaters. 35

When we look at the health implications of animal protein we should compare this type of nutrition with plant-based proteins, especially when an individual has cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, or even cancer. When your protein comes from beans, nuts, seeds, and greens, the body more gradually assimilates a complete array of amino acids to make functional proteins and hormones, keeping IGF-1 production much lower. Adequate amounts of plant protein keep IGF-1 in that moderate range, between 100 and 175, which is where it should be. The average American’s IGF-1 level is around 225, which is a level which has been linked to cancer promotion. When we eat a variety of plants, we get a full balance of amino acids, which slowly enter the blood—and we also digest some of the bacteria in the digestive track and some of the cells that slough off of the villi endothelium, enabling the utilization of partially incomplete plant proteins, now made complete. Conversely, when you eat large portions of meat, eggs, or cheese, the amino acid mix enters the bloodstream faster and because it is already biologically complete, it stimulates excessive amounts of IGF-1, again increasing the risk of cancer. 36 - 43

The average American consumes 10 to 20 ounces a day of animal products, whereas the safe level of consumption is likely less than 10 ounces per week . My estimate of 10% of calories as an upper limit of safe consumption is for a person with favorable genetics and is still likely more animal products than ideal for the nonelderly adults. It may be the case that under 5% of calories from animal products would be more ideal for life span and for facilitating disease reversal. Of course, any diet designed to optimize health should include a broad array of colorful plants with phytochemicals and antioxidants, which have been shown to increase life span and prevent cancer.

The animal products served at fast food restaurants are making the health of the population much worse, creating dangerous carcinogens from the food being grilled, barbecued, and fried at high temperatures. The World Health Organization has classified processed meats (hot dogs, sausage, bacon, and lunch meats) a class 1 carcinogen. AGEs are also highest in barbecued and fried animal products which also contain cancer-causing chemicals such as heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and lipid peroxidases, which are mutagenic.

There are 2 phases of the digestive cycle: the anabolic phase, when you are eating and digesting, and the catabolic phase, when digestion has ceased. When you are eating and digesting food, the body turns those calories into stored glycogen, increasing fat storage and the storage of waste. During this phase of the digestive cycle, growth hormones and fat storage hormones are activated.

When your body is finished digesting, you enter the catabolic phase, where the stored glycogen and fat are utilized for energy. This is the phase when your body can most effectively detoxify and enhance cellular repair. It is the time when the liver and kidneys work together to remove aldehydes, AGEs, and other toxic metabolites. Repair and healing is enhanced during the catabolic phase when you are not eating food.

Most Americans have made their bodies so toxic, that when they enter the catabolic phase of the digestive cycle, they feel uncomfortable. That means they feel fatigue, headache, stomach cramping or fluttering, anxiety, or other uncomfortable symptoms when they stop digesting food and the body starts to mobilize waste and repair the damage. They typically interpret these symptoms as hunger or low blood sugar, because they feel better if they eat again—even though there is no biological need for calories at this time; and so they just get fatter and sicker. Every addiction has a “high” during the caloric rush and a “low” during withdrawal and repair from the disease-causing diet and resultant metabolic wastes and toxins that accrue from it. The American diet results in withdrawal symptoms and discomfort which promotes overeating and too-frequent eating. The lower the quality of the food consumed, the more discomfort felt when not eating and digesting, which makes it very difficult to maintain a healthy body weight.

If you’re healthy and eating nutritious food, you feel nothing when you enter the catabolic phase, with no desire to eat again until glycogen stores are nearly exhausted. True hunger is a mild sensation felt in the throat and base of the neck. True hunger heightens taste sensitivity too, making eating more pleasurable. True hunger directs when you should eat and therefore it’s more difficult to become overweight if you pay attention to the signs your body sends to your brain. Being overweight requires eating outside of the demands of true hunger, either recreationally or because of withdrawal symptoms from improper eating, stimulating the overconsumption of calories.

Enhanced detoxification—reduction of metabolic waste, aldehydes, and AGEs—occurs most effectively in the catabolic phase. That means the longer you live in the catabolic phase of the digestive cycle, the longer you live. If you finish dinner earlier or have a lighter dinner, and you have a 13-hour window between the end of dinner and the start of breakfast, you are going to live longer. A recent study had women with breast cancer followed for 10 years and found that those who finished dinner earlier and had a 13-hour window before the start of breakfast had a 26% reduction in the risk of death or recurrence from breast cancer. 44 , 45 The increased nighttime window was also linked to improved glycemic control and a lower HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin). They had no better diet, no different number of calories, no better food; they just finished dinner earlier.

The goal for excellent health is to eat as infrequently as possible. Many people believe just the opposite and eat frequent small meals that increase endothelial dysfunction leading to an increased risk for arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. In addition, all the fad diets encourage people to make the wrong choices about what and when to eat. Many suggest the use of frequent high-protein meals so as not to feel the effects of normal detoxification. When the digestive track is continually busy, it results in accelerated aging.

Processed and fast foods are also high in salt. The fast and processed food manufacturers don’t just put salt on the French fries and on the meat, they also put salt in the French fry batter and inside the chopped meat. They also include high fructose corn syrup in most foods. The added fat, sugar, and salt create a taste that makes people crave these foods, a sensation that many describe as an addiction. Both sugar and salt intake increase stroke risk, especially when consumed daily for years. Additionally, what is generally not appreciated is that the regular consumption of artificially sweetened soda creates more of a stroke risk. 46 High salt does not merely raise blood pressure; it also causes microvascular hemorrhaging, which damages the interior walls of the blood vessels in the brain and increases permeability and the propensity for hemorrhagic stroke. 47 , 48

Over the past 30 years, we’ve also seen an explosion of diabetes in Japan, Korea, and China, occurring at a lower body weight than we typically see in America, likely because the cumulative effects of eating more fast food, more oil and sugar, along with all of the white rice (a refined, high glycemic food), which they already had in their diet.

We know that people have the power to change when significant effort and attention is directed to the problems at hand. With good information, emotional support, increased food availability and food preparation instruction, we have found people enthused and willing to work together for change. They don’t have to be convinced of the tragic dangers of fast food; they see the obesity, diabetes, leg amputations, strokes, and blindness all around them. But if people don’t have good information, then they don’t have a choice. If they don’t have access to healthy, affordable food, and they don’t know how to make it taste good, then they are not given a chance to change.

The goal for physicians and other health care professionals is to work to transform America’s inner cities into zones of nutritional excellence. Our nation’s pride and heritage are based on the equal opportunity to achieve the American dream of prosperity and happiness. This critical information needs to be spread and put into action by community activists, teachers, educators, celebrities, health professionals, athletes, and politicians. The more people who know the critical importance of eating healthfully, and the more they take a stand, the greater the effect will be on transforming the health of all in America. By working together, we can save millions of lives.

Acknowledgments

This work was presented at Lifestyle Medicine 2017, October 22-25; Tucson, AZ.

Authors’ Note: The opinions presented in this article are those of the author and may not represent those of the Guest Editor, Editor, or the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding: The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Ethical Approval: Not applicable, because this article does not contain anystudies with human or animal subjects.

Informed Consent: Not applicable, because this article does not contain anystudies with human or animal subjects.

Trial Registration: Not applicable, because this article does not contain anyclinical trials.

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Home Essay Samples Food Fast Food

Cause and Effect of Fast Food: the Impact on Health and Society

Table of contents, causes of fast food consumption, effects on physical well-being, cultural and societal impact, economic considerations, promoting healthier lifestyles, conclusion: balancing convenience and health.

• Ludwig, D. S., Peterson, K. E., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2001). Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis. The Lancet, 357(9255), 505-508.
• Malik, V. S., Pan, A., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2013). Sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 98(4), 1084-1102.
• Story, M., Kaphingst, K. M., Robinson-O'Brien, R., & Glanz, K. (2008). Creating healthy food and eating environments: policy and environmental approaches. Annual Review of Public Health, 29, 253-272.
• Stuckler, D., McKee, M., Ebrahim, S., & Basu, S. (2012). Manufacturing epidemics: the role of global producers in increased consumption of unhealthy commodities including processed foods, alcohol, and tobacco. PLOS Medicine, 9(6), e1001235.
• World Health Organization. (2016). Report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity. WHO Press.

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Causes and Effects of Fast Food: Essay Example

Essay about fast food: introduction, causes of fast food: essay body paragraph, effects of fast food: essay body paragraph, fast food causes and effects: conclusion, reference list.

Food is an integral part of any culture and society around the globe. Until the last century, most people used to eat fresh, home-cooked food. Eating was a process that required specific preparations. However, now, we see that they prefer to eat fast food such as pizza, hamburgers, or fried chicken.

These fast-food restaurants have become common on our streets, and people of all ages visit them. The popularity of these restaurants has increased internationally. There are many reasons why fast food has become popular, and fast food also has some serious effects on humans and society.

The basic question is, what made fast food so popular this last century? One answer would be that the change in lifestyle compared to before is a cause for this. It pushes workers or people to eat fast food than cook food themselves.

For instance, two working parents are a good example of this. Due to their jobs, they do not have time to cook for their children or even themselves. As a consequence, they find it easier to order from these fast food restaurants rather than cook. That is why they favor fast food over their own cooked food.

Another cause of fast food usage is long working hours, which may also lead people to eat outside the home. There are many fast-food businesses in our cities. Some are McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, etc. We can make a long list with hundreds of names from these restaurants.

During the last couple of years, we saw a lot of advertisements and promotions for those restaurants. Nevertheless, there still remains a question of why they spend to promote ineffective food. What are the reasons for this? The answer is that fast food is easy to cook. It does not take long to cook, and it is readily available. The shareholders of these businesses have their own goals, that of the profits they get from these restaurants.

Above, we have seen the causes that may have led to the flourishing of the fast-food industry. However, what is more important, is its effects on society and human beings. The primary effect that fast food has on human beings is that it can get your health in danger status. First, fast food can cause vitamin deficiencies that may, in turn, help to cause diseases.

Obesity is one of the consequences of fast food on the human body. Obesity comes because fast food is the factor that enriches the body with fats. So people will become less healthy, less effective, and less productive, and this is the conclusion of obesity (Adams, 2007, pp. 155).

Another serious effect of the popularity of fast food presences is the loss of the family tradition of eating together. The family used to eat together, and thus they had the opportunity to talk with each other about daily problems.

Fast food also affects the income of the family. The conclusion is that fast food is more expensive than the food you cook for yourself.

In conclusion, it can be said that fast food has been born out of the modern way of living in our societies. Unfortunately, its effects on the human body and health are unfavorable. It also has other adverse effects on the income of a family. It would be best to avoid eating fast foods as much as possible.

Adams, C., 2007. Reframing the obesity debate: McDonald’s role may surprise you. Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics, no. 35: pp. 154-157.

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Essay on Fast Food Is Bad For Health

Students are often asked to write an essay on Fast Food Is Bad For Health in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Fast Food Is Bad For Health

Unhealthy ingredients.

Fast food often has too much salt, sugar, and fat. These ingredients can lead to serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes. Eating too much fast food can also make you gain weight quickly.

Poor Nutrition

Fast food doesn’t have enough good stuff like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Your body needs these to stay healthy. Without them, you might feel tired and get sick more often.

Bad Eating Habits

Eating fast food a lot can make you used to eating only that. This means you might not want to eat healthier foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Fast food can harm your health. It’s better to eat homemade meals with fresh ingredients to keep your body strong and healthy.

250 Words Essay on Fast Food Is Bad For Health

Fast food and health.

Fast food is a popular choice for many people because it is quick and tastes good. But eating too much of it is not good for our health. This type of food often has a lot of fat, sugar, and salt, which can lead to different health problems.

Too Much Fat

Many fast food items are fried in a lot of oil, which makes them high in fat. Eating a lot of fat can make you gain weight and lead to heart diseases. It can also make it hard for your body to use insulin, which is important for controlling sugar levels in your blood.

High in Sugar and Salt

Fast food also has a lot of sugar and salt. Too much sugar can cause tooth decay and add to weight gain. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which is bad for your heart.

Missing Good Nutrients

Fast food does not have enough good nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. These nutrients are needed for your body to stay healthy and work properly. Without them, you can feel tired and find it hard to concentrate in school.

In short, fast food can be harmful to your health if you eat it too often. It is better to eat food that has less fat, sugar, and salt, and more of the good nutrients that your body needs. Try to pick healthier options, like fruits and vegetables, to keep your body strong and healthy.

500 Words Essay on Fast Food Is Bad For Health

What is fast food.

Fast food is the kind of food you get from a restaurant that serves it to you quickly. You don’t have to wait long to eat it. Places like McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King are famous for making this kind of food. It usually includes burgers, fries, pizzas, and sodas. People like fast food because it’s tasty, it doesn’t cost too much, and it’s very quick to get when you’re hungry.

Why Fast Food Can Be Harmful to Health

Eating fast food can be bad for your health for many reasons. First, it often has a lot of calories. Calories are like tiny bits of energy you get from food. If you eat too many, and don’t move around enough to use them up, they can make you gain weight. Many fast food meals have more calories than you need in a whole day.

Second, fast food is full of salt, sugar, and fats. Our bodies need a little bit of these things, but not too much. Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which is bad for your heart. Too much sugar can make you gain weight and can hurt your teeth. Eating lots of fats, especially the kinds found in fast food, can also be bad for your heart.

Nutrition and Fast Food

Nutrition is about all the different good things in food that help your body grow and stay healthy. Fast food doesn’t have a lot of these good things. Even if it makes you feel full, it doesn’t have enough of the vitamins, minerals, and fibers that come from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These are really important for kids because they help you grow up strong and healthy.

How Fast Food Affects Kids

Kids who eat fast food a lot might not feel good. They can become overweight, which means they have more weight on their bodies than is healthy. This can make it hard to run, play, and do all the fun things kids like to do. Being overweight can also make kids feel sad or get bullied at school.

Also, kids who eat fast food all the time might not do as well in school. Your brain needs good food to work right, just like your muscles need it to run fast. Without the right food, it can be harder to concentrate and learn new things.

What Can You Do?

It’s okay to eat fast food sometimes, but not all the time. Try to eat it only once in a while, like on a special day. The rest of the time, eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and foods that don’t have too much fat, sugar, or salt. Drink water instead of soda, and try to move around a lot to use up your energy.

If you’re eating with your family, you can ask to go to places that have healthier options. Some fast food places have salads, fruit, and milk. Choosing these instead of burgers and fries can help you stay healthy.

Remember, what you eat is very important for your body and your mind. Eating healthy food helps you grow, think, and play. So, next time you’re hungry, think about what food is the best choice for you!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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• Essay on Fast Food And Obesity

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Fast Food — Fast Food And Why It Should Be Banned

Fast Food Should Be Banned: Analysis of Health Effects

• Categories: Fast Food Junk Food Obesity

About this sample

Words: 1465 |

Published: Jan 28, 2021

Words: 1465 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, why should fast food be banned, works cited.

• Oliver, J. (2010, February). Teach every child about food. TED. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver?language=en
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Overweight & obesity: Adult obesity facts. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
• World Health Organization. (2021). Obesity and overweight. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
• American Heart Association. (n.d.). Fast food and your heart. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/fast-food-and-your-heart
• Stuckler, D., & Nestle, M. (2012). Big food, food systems, and global health. PLoS Medicine, 9(6), e1001242. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001242
• Ludwig, D. S., Peterson, K. E., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2001). Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: A prospective, observational analysis. The Lancet, 357(9255), 505-508. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(00)04041-1
• Rosenheck, R. (2008). Fast food consumption and increased caloric intake: A systematic review of a trajectory towards weight gain and obesity risk. Obesity Reviews, 9(6), 535-547. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2008.00477.x
• Nestle, M. (2013). Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (3rd ed.). University of California Press.
• Roberts, C., Troop, N., & Connors, M. (2019). Eating Behaviours and Obesity. In R. F. Bell & J. M. Lundahl (Eds.), Handbook of Obesity Treatment (pp. 55-67). Springer.
• Smith, T., Smith, B., & Kelly, P. (2018). "Just one more piece of cake." Obesogenic environments and the irresistible pull of sweet treats. In M. K. Demauro (Ed.), Sugar Consumption and Health (pp. 61-76). Nova Science Publishers.

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IELTS Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food

Updated On Nov 06, 2023

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Task 2 of IELTS Writing is similar for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General. In this task, you will be expected to write an essay on a given topic. Different types of essays are given in the exam, advantages and disadvantages essay being one of them. Here, we will go through a sample answer of the IELTS essay on advantages and disadvantages of fast food.

Before proceeding to the sample answer, it is best to learn some ways to achieve a band score of 8 for Writing Task 2 that will help you write your own essay on the topic.

Here is a step-by-step guide to write such essays in Writing Task -1.

• Understand the Prompt: Read the essay prompt carefully and ensure you comprehend the topic. Identify whether you are required to discuss advantages, disadvantages, or both.
• Brainstorm Ideas: Spend a few minutes brainstorming points for each aspect (advantages and disadvantages) of the topic. Jot down key ideas and examples that support your arguments.
• Plan Your Essay: Create a rough outline for your essay. Decide on the structure, including how many paragraphs you’ll have and the main points for each section.
• Write the Introduction: Start with a clear and concise introduction. Mention that you will discuss both advantages and disadvantages in your essay. Provide a brief overview of your main points.
• Develop the Body Paragraphs: Dedicate one or two paragraphs to each aspect (advantages and disadvantages). Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main point. Follow with supporting details, examples, and explanations.
• Address Each Point: Balance your discussion of advantages and disadvantages, giving roughly equal attention to both unless the prompt specifies otherwise.
• Write a Conclusion: Summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs. Restate your position on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa. Provide a final thought or recommendation, if appropriate.
• Proofread and Edit: Carefully review your essay for grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and spelling errors. Ensure that your sentences are clear and concise. Check that your essay meets the word count requirement.

Now, let us learn how to frame an essay using the above-mentioned steps.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task .

Write at least 250 words.

Nowadays people have greater access to fast food. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Advantages – Disadvantages Essay

Introduction

Paraphrase the topic of the essay and mention that the essay will discuss both the advantages and disadvantages.

Paragraph 1: Advantages of access to fast food

Paragraph 2: Disadvantages of access to fast food

Conclusion 

Clearly restate points covered in the essay.

Sample Answer 1 

The traction towards fast food has been on the rise for the past few years. As a result, fast-food outlets have mushroomed in every corner of the world. This essay will discuss both sides of this inclination and highlight how the disadvantages of the rampant availability of fast foods outweigh the advantages.

On the bright side, the availability of fast food is a boon to the working population as well as people who live alone away from home. Nowadays, it is quite common for spouses to go outside to work. Consequently, the easy access to these foods makes life easier for them as they juggle their office and home chores . Moreover, these convenience foods are economical and delectable if bought from appropriate places. Therefore, they are the best alternatives for healthy food, which is sometimes exorbitant .

However, unbridled accessibility and consumption of fast foods have an array of adverse effects. Firstly, it affects the health of the consumer and raises the risk of cardiovascular diseases, dental problems, etc. Obesity is one of the major side effects of these foods. Secondly, the innumerable ways of obtaining fast food is making people sluggish . For example, due to online delivery options like Zomato, Swiggy, etc., people do not have to go out to eat. This makes them dependent on these apps and gradually, they give up cooking and become torpid . Lastly, overconsumption of fast foods can lead to mental issues like depression and anxiety, as argued by many scientific researchers. They claim as people are more inclined towards eating fast foods, they do not maintain a healthy lifestyle, which contributes to these issues.

In the end, even though fast foods are easy to cook, inexpensive and readily available, greater access to them certainly has more pitfalls than gains.

• Traction (noun)

Meaning: the extent to which something new becomes popular

E.g: His debut album gained a lot of traction.

• Mushroomed (verb)

Meaning: increase, spread, or develop rapidly

E.g: Beauty salons have mushroomed in our village in the past two years.

• Rampant (adjective)

Meaning: happening a lot or becoming worse, usually in a way that is out of control

E.g: The rampant poaching of animals and birds has led to biodiversity loss in many places.

• Boon (noun)

Meaning: a thing that is helpful or beneficial

E.g: The construction of the dam is a boon to the nearby villages.

• Chores (noun)

Meaning: a job or piece of work that needs to be done regularly

E.g: I divide the chores equally among all members of the household.

• Exorbitant (adjective)

Meaning: much more than is reasonable

E.g: The supermarket charges an exorbitant price for most items it sells.

• Unbridled (adjective)

Meaning: unrestrained

E.g: Letting the tiger roam unbridled in the forest can be dangerous to the nearby villages.

• Sluggish (adjective)

Meaning: lacking in energy; lazy

E.g: My son has become sluggish.

• Torpid (adjective)

Meaning: not active

E.g: Most students in our high school are torpid.

• Pitfall (noun)

Meaning: problem that is likely to happen

E.g: There are pitfalls of using cars on these roads.

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Sample Answer 2 (320 words)

In today’s fast-paced world, access to fast food has become more convenient than ever before. This essay will explore both the advantages and disadvantages of this trend.

One of the primary advantages of greater access to fast food is convenience. Fast food restaurants are widely available, often 24/7, allowing people to grab a quick meal on their way to work or when they have a busy schedule.

Another advantage is the affordability of fast food. In comparison to dining at traditional restaurants, fast food is usually more budget-friendly. Families on a tight budget often find it economical to choose fast food as an occasional dining option.

Furthermore, fast food establishments often offer a variety of menu choices. This allows consumers to select from a range of options, catering to diverse tastes and dietary preferences.

On the flip side, greater access to fast food can lead to health-related problems. Many fast food items are high in calories, unhealthy fats, and sugar, which can contribute to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Excessive consumption of fast food has been linked to various health issues, making it a concerning aspect of this accessibility.

Another disadvantage is the environmental impact of the fast food industry. The production and distribution of fast food contribute to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and excessive waste generation. This has a detrimental effect on the environment and contributes to climate change.

Moreover, the convenience of fast food may lead to a decline in home-cooked meals. As more people opt for the ease of fast food, traditional cooking skills may erode, resulting in a loss of cultural culinary traditions and diminished family bonding over meals.

In conclusion, while greater access to fast food offers convenience, affordability, and menu diversity, it also presents significant disadvantages such as health concerns, environmental issues, and a potential decline in home cooking. Whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages largely depends on an individual’s choices and lifestyle.

• Convenience (Noun)

Meaning: Suitable for one’s needs; making life easier.

Eg: The convenience of online shopping has revolutionized the way we shop.

• Budget-friendly (Adjective)

Meaning: Cost-effective; not expensive.

Eg: The local farmer’s market offers budget-friendly organic produce.

• Diverse (Adjective)

Meaning: Showing a great deal of variety; different.

Eg: The city’s cultural festival showcased diverse traditions from around the world.

• Obesity (Noun)

Meaning: Excessive body weight often associated with health issues.

Eg: Childhood obesity is a growing concern in many developed countries.

• Deforestation (Noun)

Meaning: The action of clearing forests, often for agricultural purposes.

Eg: Deforestation has led to the loss of many endangered species’ habitats.

• Culinary (Adjective)

Meaning: Relating to the practice or skills of cooking.

Eg: The culinary school offers a wide range of cooking courses.

• Erode (Verb)

Meaning: Gradually destroy or diminish something over time.

Eg: The constant exposure to water eroded the coastline.

• Cultural Traditions (Phrase)

Meaning: The customs, beliefs, and practices passed down within a society.

Eg: Preserving cultural traditions is essential for maintaining a sense of identity.

Also, check:

• IELTS Writing Actual Test & Band 8.0 Advantage/Disadvantage Essay – Topic: Travel
• IELTS Writing Actual Test In 2016 & Band 8.0 Sample Advantage/Disadvantage Essays
• IELTS Advantage/Disadvantage Essay Of Band 8.5 – Topic: Traffic & Accommodation
• IELTS Writing Actual Test & Band 9.0 Advantage/Disadvantage Essay – Topic: Gap Year
• IELTS Writing Actual Test In April 2016 – Band 8.5 Advantage/Disadvantage Essay
• Academic IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic & Band 8.5 Advantage/Disadvantage Essay

Practice IELTS Writing Task 1 based on report types

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IELTS essay sample | Fast foods are bad. Do you agree?

by Manjusha Nambiar · Published March 22, 2016 · Updated April 23, 2024

Essay topic

The fast food industry has negative effects on our health, the environment and family eating habits. Do you agree or disagree?

Sample essay

Fast foods have invaded our kitchen and living room. They have changed our eating habits and made us prone to developing several health problems. I certainly agree with the argument that fast foods have a negative impact on our health and on the environment.

To start with, fast foods cause several health problems. They are rich in calories and make us obese. Regular consumption of fast foods leads to several health problems including diabetes, heart trouble and liver damage.

Most people who consume packaged food products are actually aware of their health consequences; still they can’t resist the temptation to eat them. There are several reasons to this. First, fast foods taste better. They use several ingredients that make us addicted to them. Second, fast foods are readily available. It takes hours to cook a meal. Today, most of us lead busy lives that leave us with little time to cook or clean. As a result, we are often compelled to buy fast foods even though we are aware of their health consequences.

Fast foods have a negative impact on the environment as well. The junk food industry uses plastic for packaging. The environmental consequences of plastic are well-known. Each year tons of plastic end up in landfills. It spoils the soil and clogs the drains.

Eating habits of families have also changed due to the adoption of fast foods. Parents and children munching on packaged foods sitting in front of a television is now a common sight. Gone are the days when families used to sit around a table to enjoy a meal.

To conclude, fast foods have a negative impact on almost all aspects of our life and the environment. In my opinion, it is high time we expelled them from our lives.

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Harmful Effects of Junk Food Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on harmful effects of junk food.

Junk Food is very harmful that is slowly eating away the health of the present generation. The term itself denotes how dangerous it is for our bodies. Most importantly, it tastes so good that people consume it on a daily basis. However, not much awareness is spread about the harmful effects of junk food.

The problem is more serious than you think. Various studies show that junk food impacts our health negatively. They contain higher levels of calories, fats, and sugar. On the contrary, they have very low amounts of healthy nutrients and lack dietary fibers. Parents must discourage their children from consuming junk food because of the ill effects it has on one’s health.

Impact of Junk Food

Junk food is the easiest way to gain unhealthy weight. The amount of fats and sugar in the food makes you gain weight rapidly. However, this is not a healthy weight. It is more of fats and cholesterol which will have a harmful impact on your health. Junk food is also one of the main reasons for the increase in obesity nowadays.

This food only looks and tastes good, other than that, it has no positive points. The amount of calorie your body requires to stay fit is not fulfilled by this food. For instance, foods like French fries, burgers, candy, and cookies, all have high amounts of sugar and fats. Therefore, this can result in long-term illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure . This may also result in kidney failure .

Above all, you can get various nutritional deficiencies when you don’t consume the essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and more. You become prone to cardiovascular diseases due to the consumption of bad cholesterol and fat plus sodium. In other words, all this interferes with the functioning of your heart.

Furthermore, junk food contains a higher level of carbohydrates. It will instantly spike your blood sugar levels. This will result in lethargy, inactiveness, and sleepiness. A person reflex becomes dull overtime and they lead an inactive life. To make things worse, junk food also clogs your arteries and increases the risk of a heart attack. Therefore, it must be avoided at the first instance to save your life from becoming ruined.

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Ways to Avoid Junk Food

The main problem with junk food is that people don’t realize its ill effects now. When the time comes, it is too late. Most importantly, the issue is that it does not impact you instantly. It works on your overtime; you will face the consequences sooner or later. Thus, it is better to stop now.

You can avoid junk food by encouraging your children from an early age to eat green vegetables. Their taste buds must be developed as such that they find healthy food tasty. Moreover, try to mix things up. Do not serve the same green vegetable daily in the same style. Incorporate different types of healthy food in their diet following different recipes. This will help them to try foods at home rather than being attracted to junk food.

In short, do not deprive them completely of it as that will not help. Children will find one way or the other to have it. Make sure you give them junk food in limited quantities and at healthy periods of time.

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People are really annoyed about the price of fast food

• Fast food is getting more expensive, and Americans are annoyed about it.
• Diners say they're cutting back on how often they get fast food because of rising prices.
• They say they're eating at sit-down restaurants or cooking at home more instead.

Fast-food chains have raised prices drastically in recent years — blaming everything from rising food costs and labor shortages to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Because of this, some fast-food customers are starting to cut back and are opting to eat at home or switch to dine-in options , which are increasingly viewed as better value for money.

Sara Senatore, a restaurant analyst at Bank of America, told Business Insider that fast-food restaurants historically increased prices by about 2% yearly. At some restaurants in 2022 and 2023, they went up by double digits, she said.

As general inflation comes down, including for groceries, Senatore expects consumers to be even "less tolerant" of the price increases in the restaurant industry.

But cheaper fast food may be some way off. California's new $20 minimum wage for limited-service restaurant workers kicked in this month and has prompted price hikes on menus statewide.

Restaurant analysts say it could have a ripple effect on wages across the fast-food industry nationwide, meaning that your favorite spots could become even pricier.

Even the more loyal fast-food diners are cutting back

In interviews with BI, more than a dozen consumers from different parts of the US referred to a range of fast-food chains they said had gotten more expensive in recent years — including McDonald's, Dunkin', Subway, and Chipotle.

Warren Colehour, a 40-year-old student in Kentucky, said he used to go to Dunkin' almost every morning for a breakfast sandwich and coffee but had cut it down to about four days a month because of the price. "I can't bring myself to spend $8 on that food," he said.

Chad Frye, a cartoonist and illustrator based in California who said he used to be a "fast-food junkie," said he'd cut down his fast-food habit from four or five times a week to just twice.

He said he'd noticed price increases at McDonald's in particular.

"You could go into McDonald's and there would be a whole array of choices on a value menu, and they used to call it the dollar menu , and you can't get anything in there for a dollar anymore," he said.

McDonald's USA told BI that pricing was set by local franchisees and varied by restaurant.

"McDonald's always strives to strike the right balance of value for money," a company spokesperson said, noting that customers could also get offers and free items through its app.

Some diners said they thought the quality of fast food meant it just wasn't worth the price anymore.

"I think mentally you maybe don't think it tastes as good anymore because you're paying a lot more for it," Frye said.

For Martin Jennings, a 51-year-old truck driver in Florida, fast food is often the only meal available on the road, and it's become increasingly hard to find affordable options.

He said most truck stops had chain fast-food restaurants, "and you're just stuck with whatever's there."

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"It's just so expensive that we try to avoid it," he added. Instead, he uses the freezer and microwave in his truck to store and heat up leftovers he brings from home.

"I pack as much food as I can before I leave the house to avoid eating out," he said.

Dunkin' and Chipotle didn't respond to requests for comment from BI. A Subway spokesperson said "significant changes" had been made to the quality of its menu while "maintaining affordability."

"While pricing guidelines are provided to ensure we are maintaining our value proposition systemwide, pricing is set by our franchisees," the spokesperson said.

Consumers are turning to sit-down restaurants

Rising fast-food prices are making sit-down meals — whether at formal restaurants or casual-dining chains such as Chili's, Applebee's , and Olive Garden — more attractive to some diners.

While fast-food restaurants are generally chosen for their price and convenience, sit-down restaurants are usually seen as more expensive places where diners can relax and socialize.

But the closing price gap between full- and limited-service restaurants means some diners are going to sit-down restaurants more often.

Ben Heyworth, an account executive in Florida, is one example. He recently pivoted from dining in at fast-food chains such as Subway, Burger King, and McDonald's in favor of fast-casual and sit-down restaurants.

He said he'd found that the food, service, and atmosphere were better in these chains and that they generally charged a similar price.

Diners are hunting for bargains

While some diners are increasingly abandoning fast food, others are keeping a close eye on restaurant deals to get more bang for their buck.

Offers the interviewees highlighted included Del Taco's three-tacos-for-$2 deal on Tuesdays, Arby's two-for-$6 deal on sandwiches, and Subway's coupons.

"I'm looking for extreme value when I'm going out," Richard McConnell, a 58-year-old Oregon resident, said.

Others are also using fast-food chains' apps to score cheap or free food.

Fast food still lures diners in

This isn't to say that sales at fast-food chains are slumping. In 2023, for example, comparable US sales at McDonald's were up 8.7% year over year. In 2022, they were up 5.9% in the US. At Burger King , this figure was 7.5% in 2023.

The taste and convenience of fast food is still bringing diners in.

Ricardo Rodriguez, a 60-year-old semi-retired finance worker in California, told BI that he got "sticker shock" whenever he bought a Double Big Mac .

But he still goes to the chain about three times a month and said his wife would use the app to get a free sandwich or portion of fries. He said their average spend is about $25.

Rodriguez said the main reason he got fast food was the taste.

"Even if they were to raise the price on the McGriddle sandwich," he said, "I probably would still go and buy it."

Watch: We bought all the fast-food chicken sandwiches in the US and UK to compare the differences

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