Fast Food, Fast Life, and Fast Death - Essay Example

Fast Food, Fast Life, and Fast Death It is very easy to find fast-food joints at every nook and corner these days. These joints are increasingly popular because there is a huge demand for junk foods. Entering 19th century, the food industry quickly embraced the idea of fast food as it attracted people who had little time to be spent on preparing their own meals, but had a hearty appetite. For example, burgers, donuts and pizzas are very popular amongst the young as well as the older generations; however the fact that these popular fast foods pose extremely serious health hazards to their consumers cannot be completely undermined. The term "fast food" is soon being replaced by the most appropriate term-"junk food" and there are more reasons for this branding than there are French fries in a happy-meal! No matter how appetizing or convenient fast foods may seem, there are always impending dangers lurking behind. The truth of the matter is that fast foods are the major cause of a variety of illnesses and disease conditions, often leading to fatal consequences, and their ill effects don't end here. Fast foods have been pivotal in other disasters as well, both environmental and ecological. Fast food and the obesity epidemic Fast food contains alarmingly high levels of fats, carbohydrates, cholesterol and refined sugar, which are loaded with calories, and are the main factors responsible for triggering obesity. The large amounts of empty calories ingested coupled with lack of an active lifestyle and exercise, lead to accumulation of unhealthy fats the body. Cholesterol clogs arteries, leading to severe complications like heart disease. According to statistics released by the CDC1, 26.6% of Americans are obese, and obesity is the direct result of eating improper diet coupled with a lack of exercise. As many as 16% of US soldiers are obese, making it the primary reason for discharging them from duty in the Military. Fast foods lack desirable essential nutrients and dietary fiber, the most important components of a healthy diet. British researchers from the Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Center and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have determined that repeated eating at McDonald's or KFC or Burger King, people are more likely to gain weight and become obese. This is because fast food not only contains many more calories than traditional food, but also is more likely to undermine normal appetite control systems. (Freiboth2) Sewage Contamination Obesity isn't the only harmful effect of Fast food consumption. Research done by national and international organizations has revealed indigestible facts about fast foods that most consumers would never have imagined. "The USDA in a 1996 study found that at meat processing plants, 78.6 percent of the ground beef contained microbes ... spread primarily by fecal material. There is real shit, not figurative, but real mammal made shit in that burger. This statistic alone made me give up fast food" (Gutierrez3). This indicates that fast food is often contaminated by feces from sewage and other sources. Eric Schlosser, an investigative journalist writes in Fast Food Nation: the Dark Side of the All-American Meal, "The medical literature on the causes of food poisoning is full euphemisms and dry scientific terms: coli-form levels, aerobic plate counts, sorbitol, MacConkey agar, and so on. Behind them lies a simple explanation for why eating a hamburger can now make you seriously ill: There is shit in the meat" (1974). Food contaminated with coli-forms, that are residents in the digestive tract, is indicative enough about the unclean and unhealthy meats and other products used in fast food industry that can eventually have serious manifestations on the health of the consumers. Attacks of food poisoning have steadily been on the rise, and though there might not be a direct correlation between the rise in the number of fast food joints and in the number of food poisoning cases, it is a proven fact that fast food is most often contaminated with germs that are not-so-good for human health. Fast food addiction Recent studies on fast food consumption have suggested that junk food cravings trigger the same brain activity as drug addiction. Ashley Gearhardt of Yale University and her colleagues found that the addictive nature of many junk foods is literally the same as the addictive nature of drugs... Many processed junk foods are loaded with flavor enhancing chemicals like monosodium glutamate (MSG), high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and aspartame, all of which are known to be highly-addictive. MSG, for instance, over-excites the brain to the point that it actually causes neurological brain damage -- but because it "tastes" so good, people quickly become addicted to it. (Benson5) This explains why most consumers find it hard to get rid of their craving for fast food, hampering their chances of weight loss during obesity treatments. The addictive nature of fast food also explains why there has been a sudden spurt in the number of fast food industries, who rise up to meet the increasing demands of the ignorant customers. Lack of concentration and energy, increased incidence of diabetes and dental problems have also been attributed to the harmful effects of fast food. Most of the kids who are obese, owe their overweight dilemma to too much junk of food intake. "Most of those who are junk food eaters are likely to get diabetic at any point in their life because of high presence of sugar in the body. High blood pressure due to great amount of sodium from junk foods can also occur" (Pearson6). Ecological Impact To cope with an ever-growing demand of meat supplies, the food industry raises hundreds and thousands of livestock, replacing large part of forests with wider pastures, stripping the lands of soil and trees. This has led to pollution of the environment causing ecological imbalances. When animals are slaughtered, processed and packaged, several dangerous elements come into play. The book Chew on this: Everything you don’t want to know about the fast food describes this scenario as “either be polluted, or be infected” (Wilson 1447). The Fast food industry is not only harming human health but the ecology as well. Humans cannot survive without nature, but can live without fast food. Worker Exploitation Fast food franchises have also been condemned for worker exploitation. Workers working in fast food joints are often underpaid and overworked. Usually, fast food companies hire teenagers or illegal immigrants, those considered to have little voice, so that the companies can pay minimum wages and exploit their labors without drawing negative attention from the public. What is worse is that these companies often fail to train their employees enough. Consequently, unskilled workers are likely to make mistakes, leading to numerous accidents for which the companies refuse to compensate. In a cruel instance, when an employee died of an accident at the work place in a fast food joint, the employer compensated with only $500 for the loss of life. This is a blatant violation of human rights where workers are at the behest of their employers. Another Scenario Many argue that the Fast food industry is a blessing, and that the harmful effects attributed to it are misreported and based on unjust foundations. It is true that Fast food has liberated a huge proportion of the population living below the poverty line from starvation. Those who couldn't afford a decent meal are now able to have one, thanks to inexpensive fast foods and their ease of procurement. It has also served as a boon for those who cannot take out time to cook their own meals, thanks to long working hours. One may also add that these foods are good for those suffering from malnutrition (Punam8), as they contain enormous amounts of calories in the form of fats and carbohydrates. In support of Fast food joints, many people have also pointed out that they have been successful in providing thousands of jobs for the jobless and unemployed, and have been an enormous support during the recession. While all these facts aren't totally baseless, they can't be used as an excuse for frequent consumption of fast foods, as their harmful effects far outweigh their positive impacts. The decision rests in the hands of consumers, who need to chalk out a moderate path, balancing consumption of fast food, with rich healthy diets and lots of exercise. While fast food has taken over the daily lives of people throughout the world, consumers should educate themselves of the ill effects of fast food and avoid replacing the junk food for appropriate healthy meals. In conclusion, the ill effects of fast food must be understood and it should not be eaten on a daily basis, doing so over a period of time can drastically affect the health of the people, deterioration of environment, and working conditions of fast food employees. People tend to only consider their temporary joy without being concerned of the consequences. In a society where the lives of people change so rapidly and unpredictably, it is understandable why people tend to seek out faster, convenient and more economic means. However, it is also important to spend some time with the family at the dinner table, and to relax from this fast paced life. People should truly consider the negative side of fast food because only when consumers are willing to wake up and protect themselves, their nature, and their people, fast food companies will realize the diminishing demands and begin to strive for improved qualities of the food. They will also have to act in favor of the environment, avoiding unnecessary exploitations. In order to achieve this end, all that one needs to do is - Avoid Fast food, Fast life, and that will eventually avoid Fast death. Works Cited 1. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. Obesity Trends. Web. 14 April 2001. < http:// www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html> 2. Freiboth, Glenn. "6 Negative Effects Of Eating Fast Food". HealthStatus. Web. 14 April 2001. < http://www.healthstatus.com/articles/6_Negative_Effects_Of_Eating_Fast_Food.html> 3. Gutierrez, Michael. "Review on Fast Food Nation". FrictionMagazine. Web. 14 April 2001. < http://www.frictionmagazine.com/imprint/books/fastfood_print.html> 4. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print. 5. Benson, Jonathan. "Junk food cravings trigger same brain activity as drug addiction, suggests study". NaturalNews. Web. 14 April 2001. < http://www.naturalnews.com/032255_ junk_food_drug_addiction.html> 6. Pearson, Gary. "Effects of Junk Food on Health". Ezine. Web. 14 April 2001. < http:// ezinearticles.com/ ?Effects-of-Junk-Food-on-Health&id=1488424> 7. Wilson, Charles, Eric Schlosser. Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Print. 8. Punam. "Is Junk Food Healthy". Chillibreeze. Web. 14 April 2001. < http:// www.chillibreeze.com/articles_various/Junk-Food.asp#a> Read More