Fast Food Equals Fast Weight Gain
I used to be a huge fan of fast food – it tastes divine, is very filling and is easy on the pocket- until I realized that fast food was responsible for my protruding belly. There was a time when I detested looking at myself in the mirror, and all this because of fast food.
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, the term generally refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with low quality preparation and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-away.
Despite the newer and healthier options offered by fast food chains, fast food is generally high in trans fats and carbohydrates and low in nutrients and fiber. Hence, eating fast food means increasing your daily calorie intake by a large measure. On an average, a diet of approximately, 2000 calories is considered to be healthy, this however depends on a large number of factors such as weight, height, physical activity and gender.
A regular but not overly filling meal at a fast food restaurant of a burger, large fries, and a large Coca-Cola drink amounts to 1430 calories. As a result of this, fast food is a major reason for weight gain in those who consume it regularly.
According to ‘USA Today’ a study conducted in New Orleans in October, 2007 showed the weight of people who ate fast food meals on an average of six times a week is much greater than those who did not consume fast food on a regular basis. The study also associates every additional fast food meal a week with a gain in body weight of 1 and a half pounds, this however depends largely on the lifestyles of people consuming the fast food.
Adequate exercise can prevent this. The study also reveals that 41% of the respondents would like nutritional information on the menu and about 50% say they would be more likely to order healthful items if they were offered as part of a value/combo meal.
Fast food is one of the leading causes of obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ranked obesity as the number one health threat for Americans in 2004. It is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United Sates and results in 400,000 deaths each year. About 60 million American adults are classified as being obese with another 127 million being overweight.
Health issues associated with obesity causes economic despair regarding health care. According to a 2003 study conducted by RTI International in North Carolina, the cost of health care in America is said to increase by $93 billion a year, mainly from Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, both associated with obesity.
So the next time you visit a fast food restaurant, try to keep portion sizes small and ask that high-fat sauces and condiments, for instance mayonnaise be served on the side and use these sparingly to reduce the calorie count.
Cutting down on fast food can go a long way in helping you attain that hour glass figure you so desire and keeping you a fit, healthy person.
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