Fast Food - Scourge of the 21st Century

Too much fast food is unhealthy. Why does it taste so good and what consequences does it have for the body?

The number of overweight people is increasing constantly. Not only the Western world is affected by this increase in waistlines, so-called "developing" countries are also rapidly catching up. Fast food and soft drinks are largely the culprits.

But It Tastes So Good..

Everyone knows how unhealthy this "food" is. It is very difficult not to indulge. Many people subjectively feel that unhealthy products taste better. Two ingredients are responsible for these flavors: fat and sugar. Both enhance the flavor of our foods, so unhealthy food doesn't necessary taste better, but has a more intense flavor. The result is that one associates a better flavor with these products, which does unconsciously affects our decisions at the supermarket.

The Consequences

Fast food and soft drinks are often considered as dangerous as cigarettes. They greatly influence the body. Common consequences of overconsumption are obesity, diabetes and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The list does not stop there. A few more negative results could be:

• A Higher Risk of Colorectal Cancer: in a recent study it was found that excessive consumption of fast foods can increase the risk of bowel cancer. Fast food increases the number of intestinal bacteria that are associated with an increased risk of bowel cancer. The study showed the very rapid effects that altered eating behavior has on the digestive system. After two weeks, the intestinal flora had adjusted to the modified eating pattern and had a different composition. A change in diet does have drastic effects on the body, even if we don't see it quickly.

• The Immune System: Unhealthy, industrially produced food leads to the irritation of the immune system. This increases the risk of allergies and asthma. Children and young people are most often affected. This increase has not directly related to fastfood & sugar. These products contain a lot of histamines and extremely unhealthy trans fats, which can indirectly lead to allergies and asthma.

• A Fatty Liver: soft drinks are especially unhealthy.  100 ml often contains a good 10 sugar cubes. The fruit sugar content is also very high. Over long term periods this leads to an extremely high sugar intake which means the fatty degeneration of internal organs. The liver is especially affected. Regular fast food consumption can have a devastating impact on the body. The damage caused to the liver by obesity and sugar is similar to that of alcohol.

"Light" Products Are Not Healthier

Light products are not much healthier. This needs to be explained in detail. Do light products less calories? Yes, they have much fewer calories and taste the same as the normal products but that is a problem.
Since light products are equally sweet tasting as the normal ones, the brain believes that the body has been supplied with as many calories. It increases the pancreas's distribution of insulin in order to reduce the sugar. The calories will be missing, however, because no sugar enters the bloodstream. The insulin distributed then lowers the normal blood sugar levels. The result is low blood sugar, which leads to food cravings. This means that you consume fewer calories with light products, but may end up eating more calories. It might be better to just avoid light products.