Negative effects of fast food Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Negative effects of fast food - Research Paper Example Health experts have found that all fast food tends to possess greater than 35% calories from fat, greater than10% calories from saturated fats, more than 35% sugar-derived calories and 200 calories in every serving of the snack (Ashakiran and Deepthi 7). This high-sugar, high –fat content implies that fast food consumers tend to have too much cholesterol thus increasing their likelihood of becoming obese. When a person becomes obese, the high percentage of cholesterol in their body triggers a number of conditions like high blood pressure. This eventually creates a chain of other complicated conditions like stroke and heart attack, which usually cause death or permanent paralysis. The great taste and large quantities that are served in most restaurants trigger greater craving for these food items and encourages people to eat more than they should. A number of other long-term health diseases have also been cited as potential consequences of eating fast food, and these include cancer. Junk food predisposes people to breast and prostate cancer especially when they begin eating such food at an early age. The clogging of arteries that arises from the habit also leads to osteoporosis, which is a condition of the bones and hypertension as well. It may also lead to the development of tooth decay owing to the high concentration of sugars in most of these snacks and drinks. In the short term, fast food causes sharp rises and declines in blood sugar thus perpetuating the susceptibility to diabetes, especially if this runs in the family. For persons without the diabetic gene, sharp increase and decreases in sugar causes lethargy, low concentration levels at work or in school, and hence low productivity. Currie et al (32) carried out an analysis of the overall effect of fast food on public health by collecting and analysing data from California, New Jersey and Michigan. Their intension was to