Fast Foods Are Not Worth the Risk - Essay Sample

Introduction

Did you know that in 1970, 6 billion dollars was spent by Americans on fast foods and that in 2017 the spending rose to a staggering 200 billion dollars? In fact, this figure is estimated to grow to 223 billion dollars before the end of 2020 (Igumbor 4). Many Americans are now depending on fast foods as their main meal and this is attributed to lack of time and the convenience of fast food joints. There are an estimated 300,000 fast food restaurants across the United States (Igumbor 5). They exist in almost every place one can think of; shopping malls, airports, and in almost every highway and this makes them easily accessible and very convenient. What makes fast food restaurants even more convenient is their ability to provide services such as free delivery, either at the office or at home and they do this in a very short time thus saving a lot of time for their clients especially when they are in a rush. Another reason why most Americans prefer fast foods is that they are very tasty and people are attracted to the promotions offered by these restaurants. Some of these promotions offer free gifts while some restaurants even market themselves by offering free meals if the food delivery takes longer than 30 minutes. What people don't realize is that with every bite taken off these fast foods, they are risking their lives. Surprisingly, many people know that fast foods are a health hazard but none comprehend the severity of this fact. Thus, this paper seeks to persuade people to stop the consumption of fast foods and the harmful materials contained in the food.

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The first and most obvious reason is that consumption of fast foods presents an added risk of developing obesity. According to medical practitioners, obesity can be defined as the increase in the body weight of an individual by more than 20% of the ideal body weight, based on factors such as age and height of the individual (Moss 127-140). Some of the causes of obesity can be associated with psychological issues or health problems. However, in most cases, obesity can be caused by a severe eating disorder especially with the consumption of fast foods. According to Moss, research has shown that regular consumption of fast foods offers a greater risk of individuals being overweight and may even lead to the development of type 2 diabetes (127-140). The issue of obesity does not affect adults alone. The last three decades have seen the rate of adolescents and children with obesity increase. In fact, they have tripled and this can be attributed to bad eating habits especially the consumption of fast foods. It is time we realize that despite the age groups, fast foods lead to obesity.

Unlike organic foods which contain naturally occurring ingredients, fast foods lack significant nutritional value and contain a lot of chemicals used for flavor. That is why fast foods are referred to as "Junk Food" (Young 246). In order for restaurants to offer quick services, fast foods are pre-prepared and stored. Then when an order comes in, the food goes through a simple process thus speeding up the entire process. For the pre-prepared food not to go stale, a preservative is used to make it last longer (Young, 249). These preservatives are harmful to our health since they are toxins and may contain carcinogens. In fact, they may lead to serious health consequences such as cancer and ulcers.

To make fast foods tastier, flavors are added during the process of preparation. Although pre-preparation of fast foods might speed up the process of production, the food loses its natural flavor, unlike organic food which maintains its original flavor when freshly cooked. Eric Schlosser in his book states that almost all foods in the fast food industry are processed and that much of the flavor is destroyed (22-26). He reiterates that fast foods contain a lot of fat, sugar, and salt and are less on nutrients. These added flavors are mostly made up of chemicals. The tastier the food, the more flavor is added and the more chemicals it contains. Much of these chemicals contain carcinogens in that when trace amounts are consumed, they may cause cancer. Also, some of these chemicals have been known to cause skin diseases and affect complexion. They can cause organ deterioration as well as affect body cell composition with cases of hair loss being reported. All these effects may ultimately lead to death. About 200,000 Americans fall ill by foodborne diseases, for every 1000 admitted in hospitals, 14 lose their lives (Schlosser 109). If Schlosser's findings are true, about 500,000 Americans will die in the next decade from foodborne illnesses. That is a very large figure, in fact, it is equal to the population of Northern Malaysia.

Fast foods are prepared using a lot of oil. As discussed earlier, along with the risk of developing obesity, these greasy and salty fast foods ensure each and every organ in a body is exposed to risk. For example, the salt and oils increase blood pressure and carbonated drinks such as sodas which often accompany these fast foods cause all sorts of kidney failure. Heart and cardiovascular complications may arise because, with every meal, small quantities of undigested fat end up in your circulatory system and, they accumulate in your blood vessels leading to heart attacks and stroke. Studies were conducted on rats, where they were fed fast foods continuously for one week. It was established that the cholesterol and triglyceride- which are contained in fats of fast foods- when supplied to the brain, may negatively affect cognitive abilities (Schlosser 120). Also, the test subjects were found to have memory impairment.

Fast foods contain meat such as beef, pork, and chicken. In order to ensure a steady supply of meat all year round and to fulfill the demand of American fast food consumers, farmers will try to fast forward the natures cycle. The animals are pumped full of hormones to boost development and increase body mass. Although this is legal, some of the residue might end up on humans. Also, in order to preserve meat in fast food restaurants, a preservative known as Tertiary Butylhdroquinone made from similar components as petroleum is used. Even worse, fast food manufactures in farms often add antibiotics to the diets of animals to prevent the animals from being sick. The problem is that these antibiotics later end up in the human's body (Igumbor 2-5).

It would be ignorant if we didn't look at the associated benefits of fast foods. Some argue that fast foods are economically beneficial. Because fast food restaurants serve large quantities of food on a relatively lower price compared to traditional restaurants, they are guaranteed an almost 100% return of customer. This enables the fast food restaurant to provide employment opportunities to fulfill the customer demand. As a result, that creates job opportunities which improve the standards of living of individuals. Take for example the McDonald franchise, there are 14,146 outlets in America alone employing 1.9 million making it the world's second-largest private employer (Nudelman and Lutz). Fast food restaurants provide employment to individuals with average academic achievements and this is because no specialized set of skills are required for the most part of the job. This is advantageous as it lowers the social divide gap between the very educated and the high school dropout.

Another advantage of fast food restaurants is that they come in handy to individuals whose work and the tight schedule does not leave ample time for them to prepare and cook traditional meals in their houses. They instead regularly consume fast foods from restaurants. In addition, fast food restaurants offer services with little to no waiting time as food is served and consumed instantly thus significantly saving on time. The restaurant pre-prepares the food and it's made ready within minutes. Some restaurants even have driven-through which saves time for an individual who is on a tight schedule to even leave his vehicle. They place an order and are served within a few minutes in the comfort of their vehicle (Young 246-249). Also, in the recent times, we have seen that the fast food restaurants provide healthy alternatives for the health conscious individuals. However, this has turned out to be a bit more expensive.

As much as the above advantages are convincing, we cannot overlook the fact that these fast foods have huge health implications. The health consequences supersede the benefits. Several kinds of research have shown that fast foods have a significant part in the development of diseases such as obesity, cancer, cardiovascular complications, diabetes, and heart diseases just to name a few. These diseases affect the economy in that the health sector spend millions annually in research and to combat them. Obesity is one of the leading conditions draining the health sector. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the largest number of obesity cases are non-genetic, in that they are actually attributed to the consumption of high-calorie substances(May).

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have seen that fast foods have more demerits than benefits. Consumers should seek to find alternatives or better yet avoid fast foods altogether. They should ensure that a balanced diet is observed by eating nutritious organic food. Although organic foods are relatively more expensive, they are worth our health and wellbeing. Fast foods are not worth the risk.

Works Cited

Igumbor, Ehimario U., et al. ""Big food," the consumer food environment, health, and the policy response in South Africa." PLoS Medicine 9.7 (2012): 1-7.

May, Ashleigh, et al. "Obesity - United States, 1999-2010." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 Nov. 2013, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6203a20.htm.

Moss, Michael. "The extraordinary science of addictive junk food." Expanding addiction: Critical essays (2013): 127-140.

Nudelman, Mike, and Ashley Lutz. "12 Facts About McDonald's That Will Blow Your Mind." Business Insider, 15 Apr. 2017, www.businessinsider.com/12-facts-about-mcdonalds-that-will-blow-your-mind-2015-4?IR=T.

Schlosser, Eric. Fast food nation: The dark side of the all-American meal. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.

Young, Lisa R., and Marion Nestle. "The contribution of expanding portion sizes to the US obesity epidemic." American journal of public health 92.2 (2002): 246-249.