Fast Food and Fat Food

There are two sides of the same coin. You may have heard arguments on both sides regarding healthy foods and fast foods. You may have asked yourself one time or another, are all fast food fat foods? Can you binge on fast food without worrying about your health? How can you eat fast food and still stay healthy?

The United States is the leading country when it comes to obesity. The country is top three in the world in terms of existing fast food chains. When you put two and two together, you get to the conclusion that the popularity of fast food restaurants is affecting the health of the consumers.

McDonalds’, one of the famous fast food chains in the world, faced a lawsuit in 2003 when parents of a teenage girl claimed that the fast food restaurant is responsible for their daughter’s health problems. Although the case was dismissed, it started the battle of fast food restaurants against health experts.

Obesity is not something to laugh about. It can lead to all sorts of complications such as diabetes mellitus type 2, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and, of course, cardiovascular diseases. Aside from that, being on the heavy side can make a person the butt of jokes which ultimately results to social outcasts and suicidal attempts. Sedentary lifestyle and overeating are the main reasons why there are people who are considered obese.

You should be familiar with the daily calorie intake. Your calorie intake highly depends on your weight and lifestyle. On average, health specialists stated that the daily calorie intake for women is 1200 calories while it is 1800 for men. Generally, one fast food meal has around 1000 calories.

Most of the food offered by fast food restaurants are deep-fried or heated up in the microwave. These processes of food preparation take minimum time unlike home cooked meals. As a result, most fast food products have high calories and are practically swimming in trans-fat.

If you take all of these into consideration, then yes, fast food is fat food. Health experts have grounds why they are against eating fast food products. On the other hand, it does not mean that you have to forego fast food altogether to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Fast food restaurants were a hit because they serve food in minimum time, in good taste, and in lesser price. So how are you going to make the two ends meet?

When health issues were raised, fast food restaurants come up with possible solutions to make their menu appealing to health buffs. They added salads, fresh fruit, and white meat to widen the selection of their consumers. Also, nutritional facts are made available so that people would have an idea how many calories are in their orders. These restaurants are doing their part but why is it that they are still being blamed?

It all boils down to you as a consumer. If you want to live a long life, you should know when to stop eating fast food. Moderation is the key. You cannot have burgers and fries all the time. If you can’t stay away from fast food, check out the other side of the menu. Instead of a Big Mac, why don’t you order a regular burger? If a regular burger is not good enough for you, just avoid add-ons like cheese, bacon, or mayonnaise sauce. Other add-ons can be tasty without the fat like onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mustard. Skip additional toppings in your pizza. Even though a slice of chocolate cake makes your mouth water, better order a low-fat yogurt or ice cream for dessert. Lastly, forget about the upsize promo. It will save you from calories and save a few pennies too.

Balanced diet is pretty elementary. As long as you know how to balance your intake, you’re good to go. The next time you crave for some fast food, indulge yourself. Just make it a point not to have the urge every day of the week.

Check out Fast Food Restaurants for more tidbits on fast food restaurants.