Effects of Fast Food and Solutions

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Effects of Fast Food and Solutions

Introduction

In Canada, there are many chain fast food restaurants and kiosks. Because these chains guarantee same taste and quality fast foods make Canadians trust them no matter the location of the fast food restaurant or kiosk. Canadians are at risk of the effects of fast foods because they over consume fast foods. This education should be taught to all Canadians with the aim of improving their health hence saving their lives. Fast foods increase fats in the body making the consumer add weight with time. Over consumption of fat leads to obesity making one face obesity related diseases and complications. Many cases of the cardiovascular related disease in Canada are led by cholesterol and salt in fast food. Eating healthy and avoiding fast food can make one recover from these effects and be healthy again. Exercising also helps remove all the unwanted fats and waste in the body and makes one physically fit. With a healthy body, one will always be happy, productive and has more chances of having a long life.

Canadian Fast Food

Fast food is a classification of food that does not need much preparation, and it is normally mass-produced and served very quickly. It is easy to differentiate fast foods restaurants and other restaurants because they have the capability to serve food fast via a drive-through. Fast foods are sold in kiosks or stands that in most cases do not offer customers seating or shelter and in fast food restaurant for customers who have time to sit and eat. Fast foods are served in packages for customers to take away, it is easy to prepare and serve because they have precooked or pre-heated ingredients. Compared to other foods, fast foods are less nutritious. In the past fast foods were fruits and foods eaten raw until 1860 when the first fast food shops began becoming famous in Britain. They sold chips and fish which was already cooked, and it only needed warming when preparing then packing for customers to eat. In the 1950s, united states popularized drive-through restaurant selling fast foods to drivers and other customers. In Canada, fast foods are preferred by customers who do not have time to wait for other foods to be prepared and are quick substitutes for home-prepared foods (Hemphill et al. 429). Some people do not have time to eat hence they opt for fast food so that they eat as they travel or work. Other people find it hard to cook hence they choose fast foods to avoid the cooking hustle. Fast foods in Canada have increased due to the increase of chained fast food outlets. The increased competition of fast foods has led to increased options. Chained outlets and restaurants offer same taste and quality hence assuring customers quality food irrespective of the outlet’s size and location.

Effects of Fast Food in Canada

Fast foods are the best option for someone in Canada who does not have time to wait for normal meals to be prepared. Fast foods cost less and taste better, but they have long lasting health effects. Fast foods are not bad, but continuous consumption makes them dangerous to the body. These foods are considered unhealthy because they lack enough minerals, vitamins and other nutrients while they add more sugar, salt, cholesterol and fat to the body. According to Hemphill, continuous consumption of fast foods form nutritional deficiencies which are accompanied by weight gain (429). Being overweight alone leads to poor lifestyles and reduces one’s life. Fast foods health effects include diabetes, obesity, heart problems and other related diseases (Alter, David, and Karen 175).

Poor Performance and Obesity

Fast foods are considered to be a leading cause of obesity because they have more amounts of fats than other foods. When fat continues to accumulate in the body, it makes one gain weight to the extent of being obese. The more weight one continues to add, the more he or she is at risk for chronic illnesses like arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. In serious cases, obese people get heart attacks. Diseases such as hypertension and high blood pressure are caused by high levels of sodium and fat in fast foods. Fast foods lead to excessive dietary sodium which leads to kidney diseases because it affects the renal function. It is evident that most Canadians become lazy due to over consumption of fast foods. Poor cognitive performance is caused by high dietary fat levels which makes one have trouble concentrating and feel tired most of the time because of lack of oxygen. Fast foods lead to obesity while obesity leads to other fatal diseases like diabetes, some forms of cancer, asthma, sleep apnea, as well as heart diseases. Obese pregnant women are likely to have pregnancy complications.

Diabetes

In Canada, there is a tradition of consuming fast foods accompanied by soft drinks which have high sugar content. Fast foods mostly consumed in Canada like Canadian toast sticks, cheeseburger and coleslaw contain high levels of sugar. Permanent negative effects on levels of blood sugar are caused by excessive consumption of sugar which causes diabetes. Diabetes is termed permanent because it requires daily medication which helps with blood sugar balancing. Consumption of fast foods with simple carbohydrates and high sugar levels over a long time can lead to type 2 diabetes. One gets diabetes because consuming excess sugar stresses the metabolism. The body needs to increase insulin levels when one consumes excess simple carbohydrates and refined sugar. Fast foods do not have needed complex carbohydrates and proteins to maintain blood sugar levels which are consistent hence when one eats fast foods blood sugar levels drop abruptly (Fung et al. 937). The need for more sugars can lead one to eat more fast foods. This stress caused by sugar cravings impair the body’s insulin production capability. Eating excess fast foods even once can make one feel very uncomfortable.

Atherosclerosis

Cardiovascular health problems face many Canadians today only because they ignored limiting their fast food consumption. Salt and cholesterol found in fast foods are the leading causes of cardiovascular health problems. Garriguet confirmed that there is a connection between negative effects of blood pressure and sodium consumption (17). Most of Canadians sodium consumption is from fast foods and processed foods. Fast foods also cause liver problems because they contain high levels of trans fatty acids. Fatty acids leave deposits when one consumes fast foods for a long time which can later lead to liver diseases and dysfunctions. It is recommended that an adult should consume 300 milligrams of cholesterol and 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily. A normal Canadian breakfast sandwich consists of egg, sausage and biscuit that totals 290 milligrams cholesterol and 1,210 milligrams sodium, adding other meals for the day makes one consume excess cholesterol and sodium. Too much cholesterol can cause conditions like heart attack, stroke and finally death because it builds-up in the arteries affecting blood flow.