Introduction
Healthy living is rooted in many factors, such as environment, financial status, employment, lifestyle, etc. Not the least important of them is a person’s eating habits. How and what a person prefers to eat constitute their eating habits, which can be healthy or unhealthy.
Fast food, also known as convenience food (a type of food that is mass-produced and aimed to be provided quickly), is considered to be a factor that contributes to unhealthy eating. Consumption of fast food is linked to such adversities as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and mental health problems (Finlay). Due to the multitude of health hardships that this kind of eating habit creates, fast food is antithetical to healthy living, and by avoiding it, people help maintain their health.
Popularity of Fast Food
Fast food is a type of food that is generally considered unhealthy. However, this does not change the fact that consumption rates of fast food continue to grow. For example, it has been established that Americans currently spend more time dining out than buying groceries (Bremner). Various dining establishments, such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Applebee’s, and Olive Garden, provide an indoor dining experience.
The social aspect of convenience food dining allows for a better connection between people (Bremner). In addition, these establishments offer various speedy delivery services for their customers. This contributes to the accessibility and convenience of this type of food, which explains its ever-growing popularity. The fact of its prominence in people’s diet shows a lack of concern for the adversities that fast food consumption can cause.
Why Fast Food Is Unhealthy
One of the pillars of healthy living is considering one’s eating practices and whether they are healthy. Fast food cannot be deemed healthy as it is linked with various severe ailments, one of the most prominent being obesity. In fact, research shows that rising obesity rates coincide with a wide distribution of fast-food dining facilities (Finlay).
Dangers of Obesity
In turn, obesity is connected with a variety of health complications, both physical and mental. People with obesity can struggle with their image, which can lead to anxiety and social disorders. In addition, obesity and unhealthy eating have been connected with depression and dysphoria, two severe mental issues. More specifically, the lack of nutritional value in fast food is associated with a higher risk of depression (Bremner). Furthermore, obesity caused by convenience food consumption can lead to different physical problems that are deadly or severely debilitating.
Other Health Implications of Fast Food
On the other hand, avoiding fast food provides a way to minimize the possible detrimental outcomes. Convenience food is frequently found to be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which are connected with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia (Finlay). In addition, fast food heightens the risks of developing diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and certain types of cancer (Bremner). These ailments could hinder one’s ability to live fully and contentedly, further impacting their mental health. Care for one’s mental and physical health is essential for healthy living; therefore, one must consider fast-food avoidance as an adequate measure to support it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, fast food has detrimental effects on one’s health. Due to its poor nutritional value, high percentage of cholesterol, and saturated fat, convenience food poses a danger to people’s mental and physical health. Health adversities that it can cause include depression, dementia, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. A person who cares about healthy living would not partake in fast-food consumption.
Works Cited
Bremner, J. Douglas, et al. “Diet, Stress and Mental Health.” Nutrients, vol. 12, no. 8, 2020, p. 2428.
Finlay, Jessica, et al. “Fast-food for Thought: Retail Food Environments as Resources for Cognitive Health and Wellbeing Among Aging Americans?” Health & Place, vol. 64, 2020, p. 102379.