Is Fast Food Bad for You?

In today's world of cut throat competition, nobody has the time to slave over the stove and prepare a healthy meal, every single day. We all want to grab something quickly and get going. And for this need of ours, fast food fits perfectly.

A variety of fast food is available at vending machines, 24-hour convenience stores, drive-through windows, etc. After a long day at work, the convenience of grabbing some fast food is simply so tempting. It pacifies our palates and keeps us and the kids happy. We keep hearing how detrimental it can be to our health. So, is fast food bad for your health?

Just like how money in itself is not bad, it's what we use it for that makes it good or bad, similarly fast food cannot be termed as 'bad'. Fast foods do not contain compounds that are deleterious. However, they contain lots of fat, calories, cholesterol, and sodium; far more than what we would get from other food sources.

Herbs, spices, salt, monosodium glutamate, and sugars are added for flavor, which can be harmful in the long run. Let's understand the cons further.

What mostly makes a fast food diet an unhealthy one is its absence of essential nutrients. Consuming fast food on a daily basis can prove detrimental, as it deprives our bodies of the nutrients required for the functioning of the body.

Fast food fills our stomachs easily and we end up filling our bodies with only fat, cholesterol, and unwanted calories. We end up being vitamin and essential nutrient deficient.

Fast food and obesity go hand in hand. A diet that lacks essential nutrients results in poor dietary fiber levels in the body. This results in destabilization of blood sugar levels, weakening of the immune system, reduction of the colon's ability to function properly, and reduction of body metabolic rate.

As a result, body's fat storage increases, especially if one leads a sedentary lifestyle. Since fast food is addictive in nature, it causes one to buy and eat more of it. This results in accumulation of belly fat and causes one's waistline to bulge, and therefore, weight gain and obesity follow.

Fast food is high in cholesterol and increases cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. As the blood passes through the arteries, cholesterol molecules get deposited on their walls and accumulate in the form of plaque. As fast food consumption increases, the plaque build-up also increases.

Gradually, the arteries will get clogged, leading to atherosclerosis. Clogged arteries prevent flow of oxygenated blood to the heart, thereby resulting in strokes.

Fast food is high in sodium content. The kidneys are responsible for maintaining appropriate levels of sodium in the body. Consuming large amounts of sodium gives the kidneys less time to throw them all out. The inability of the kidneys to eliminate sodium from the body, results in sodium build-up.

High levels of sodium in the bloodstream causes the heart to pump harder, in an effort to eliminate sodium. Blood pressure rises, thereby increasing risks of hypertension, heart disease, and kidney disease.

Fast food must be avoided by pregnant women. The simple reason being, fast food contains loads of sugar, salt, and sometimes even preservatives that can prove deleterious for the fetus and the mother.

Moreover, consumption of fast food can cause excess weight gain, pushing the mother and child to obesity. Obesity in pregnant women can lead to gestational diabetes, which only makes things more complicated for the mother and baby.

While eating fast food will not put you on your death bed, it is important you limit its consumption to not more than once a week. Moreover, don't blindly believe the tag 'healthy' that fast food joints add to their salads. It is simply amazing how these fast food joints can transform healthy salads into fatty ones.

They sure contain fresh vegetables, however, the rich salad dressing ruins the health factor completely. So, be careful about what you eat and try and pick healthy food items, lest you want to bounce away all your life with tons of extra weight.