In today's rapidly developing society, we want everything as quickly as possible, and food is no exception!
Photo by Miguel Andrade on Unsplash
Disclaimer: We the authors of this blog are Landscape Architecture students at Kansas State University. This blog is a part of a larger class project focused on community engagement, design, and education. Our goal is to share health information that may benefit residents of the Northview Neighborhood in Manhattan, Kansas. We are not experts! Resources for all information presented can be found at the bottom of this page.
“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” –Ann Wigmore
Fast food, a kind of food that people intend to consume quickly, is one of the most popular food choices in America. There have been many studies that found that eating too much fast food will have many negative impacts on your body.
But how often are we eating fast food?
Let's look at the stats!
The average American spends 1,200 dollars on fast food annually
58 percent of American adults dine out at a sit-down restaurant at least once a week
80 percent of Americans will visit a fast food restaurant at least once a week
20 percent of American adults (approximately 84.8 million adults) say they eat fast food at least once a week
From 2013 to 2016, 36.6% of adults consumed fast food on an average day
More young adults eat fast food than older adults: 44.9% aged 20–39, 37.7% aged 40–59, and 24.1% aged 60 and over
Graphic by Xing Huang
Now that we know the stats, let's see what that fast food does once we eat it.
What does Fast Food Do to your body?
Increase the risk of Headache
Some fast foods are filled with sodium which will increase the risk of a headache. Most Americans consume about 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day. However, the recommended daily amount of sodium is 2,300 mg (about one teaspoon of salt)
Destroy Tooth Enamel and Lead to Dental Cavities
The carbs and sugar in fast food will destroy tooth enamel and lead to dental cavities
Increase the risk of Heart Disease and Stroke
Fast food will increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels which are two main risk factors for heart disease and stroke
Increase the risk of Obesity
Consumers usually underestimate the number of calories in fast food, which leads to unintentional weight gain and increases the risk of obesity
Increase risk to Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes
Eating fast foods will affect the ability of your body to use insulin properly and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes
Cause Kidney Disease
High amounts of unhealthy fats and sodium from fast food will increase blood pressure and cause kidney disease
Your food choices each day has an impact on your physical and even mental health. While fast food is convenient, it damages our bodies over time. Remember: You are what you eat!
Resources
Images