The Negative and Positive Effects of Fast Foods - Essay Example

The consumption and dependence on fast food are becoming to apid despite the effects of the fast food. The use of fast food should be looked at against their negative impacts on consumers as they are unhealthy food choices. Research indicates adverse health risks associated with fast foods. Also, fast food restaurants provide their consumers with low-quality food choices despite the elevated price tagged on them at times. Also, with the development of fast food restaurants and take away shops, there has been an increased number of persons with obesity. The additives and preservatives used in the preparation of fast foods have harmful effects on the body and should be considered to be low quality.

Fast Food advocates disagree on the hazardous effects levied on fast foods. They argue that fast food does not have adverse impacts on human health as they are healthy and appropriate for consumption. Consequently, they support fast foods are cheap and have helped to mystically save time for the ever increasing busy society and, thus, have a reduced burden of preparing lunch or supper for the progressive majority. Fast foods providers have ensured that there is readily available food on demand. Also, the quick menu offers a variety of healthy choices to the preference of the consumers, therefore, increasing consumer fast food restaurant interdependence.

Critics believe that fast food consumption weighs against their adverse impacts on human health. Frequent use of fast food leads to detrimental health risks to humankind. Health risks associated with fast food include cholesterol, uric acid, and, cardiovascular complications (Harcourt). Research into junks food restaurants has shown a close relationship between some fast food restaurants located within the local area and the health complication rates. Increase in food restaurants increases the development of diseases and Infections. These foods have little enzyme producing vitamins and mineral count and contain a high level of calories, salt, sugar and, cholesterol and contain food additives which result in elevated blood sugar levels, heart diseases and, other infections (Ashakiran & Deepthi R).

Fast food advocates claim to address the consumers choice although there are health risks involved. For instance, the McDonald and Burger King started to include fruits in their fast food although the studies reveal that there is no evidence supporting the calorie labeling (Jannet Currie, Stefano Della Vigna, Enrico Moretti and Vikran Panthania). Consumers believe that full-service restaurants provide healthier, higher quality food (Al-Saad). With the 21st century, the majority of people are health conscious and consider the fast food restaurants to offer healthy food for their daily consumption.

There are a rapid growth and development of fast food restaurants increasing obesity rates. The high-fat content of fast foods is known to contain much fat content and grease that are pure unadulterated unhealthy fat CITATION Hou12 \l 1033 (Harcourt). Consumption of such junks results into obesity, a common medical condition in most parts of the countries. Obesity results into other health complications like heart diseases adding to the fact that it gives the body a bad physical conformation (Ashakiran & Deepthi R.).

A lot of time and energy is saved for the ever increasing busy society thereby decreasing the burden of home-based food preparation. Most fast foods restaurants offer the possibility of food delivery to the each of their esteemed customers thus increasing their comfort with no energy involved in the development. There is a mystical time and energy saving when one adopts the habit of preferring fast food. Fast food restaurants come into significant players in helping the growing society save on time and energy that they could invest in the purchase and preparation of the food at their homes.

Fast foods are of low quality. They have timed food and therefore needs a quick preparation within a short span of time to meet the increasing demand of consumers. The preparation of meals done in bulk which in turn lowers the quality of food naturally. Several fast food restaurants have closed for being unhygienic as they do not take appropriate measures in preparing their dishes due to constraints of time. Fighting time based on increased number of consumes drastically lowers the quality of food made in a restaurant.

On the other hand, fast food restaurants and take away shops offers a variety of choices from which a consumer gets to chose. Mind-blowing opportunities provided with different flavors, taste palate and, culture lures more customers (Jannet Currie, Stefano Della Vigna, Enrico Moretti and Vikran Panthania). The consumers get to choose various items on a daily basis depending on his or her preference without exhausting the entire menu.

To conclude, studies report the health risks that come with consumption of fast foods. Although fast food restaurants operation has helped meet the demand of the consumers, they have caused more harm than offering solutions to the rapidly changing society. Before one gets to consider fast foods to the home-based prepared foods, he or she should take an even consideration of the advantages and the limitations of each choice made.

References

Al-Saad, Eman. "Causes and Effects of Fast Food." International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research Volume 5, (April 26, 2016): 1-6.

Ashakiran & Deepthi R. "Fast Food and their Impact on Health." Journal of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences University, Vol.1, No. 2, (July-Dec 2012): 8-9.

Ashakiran & Deepthi R. "Fast Foods and their Impacts on health: Department of Biochemistry, Department of Community Medicine, Sri Devaraj Urs Medicine. Kolar-563101 (Karnataka) India ." Journal of Krishna Institute of Medical sciences university, Vol 1 No.2 (July 2, 2012): 7-9.

Harcourt, Houghton Mifflin. Fast food nation: The dark side of the all-American meal. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.pk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dU13X_AM_N8C&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=fast+food&ots=DnPkOK3oKl&sig=_XtoQIQbakFGInAVJF1I7CYuYYk#v=onepage&q=fast%20food&f=false (2012.): 1-48.