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has been replaced by fast foods.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. |
