How Fast Food Relates to Obesity

Is fast food to blame for the obesity epidemic? It is undeniable that there is a link between fast food and obesity in America. Go to almost any town in the country and you’ll find a couple of fast food restaurants.

 

In larger cities, you’ll find a string of chain restaurants that are lined up, offering consumers the opportunity to take their pick. The food that is offered in these eating establishments is generally not the best thing that you can put in your body. Much of it can be considered junk food.

 

It’s usually high in calories and fat. It’s processed food that is packed with additives and often is fried before it’s slapped on a plate or put in a wrapper. Fast food costs less, it’s quick, and it’s easy to get a hold of a large sack that holds more food than one person needs.

 

This grab and go mentality is a problem that makes it clear how fast food relates to obesity.

 

The Connection Between Fast Food and Obesity

 

Statistics show that the amount of fast food restaurants has been on the rise in the last 40 years. There are over a quarter of a million fast food establishments across the country. At the same time, the number of cases of obesity that affect adults and children has been steadily increasing as well.

 

It’s easy to put two and two together to link fast food and obesity. Burgers at McDonald’s or Burger King are well over 500 calories and include the entire amount of fat that you should have in a day. Add the fries and you’re talking more than three hundred calories added to the meal.

 

If you go for fast food, you’re more likely to pick a soda, which means empty calories with a beverage that is high in sugar. One meal at a fast food restaurant is probably going to run around 1000 calories. You do the math. If you eat this way on a regular basis, especially if you grab fast food for lunch and dinner, you are headed for disaster.

 

Easy Access Is A Major Problem

 

The convenience of fast food restaurants is another link between fast food and obesity. It’s simply too easy to pull in through a drive-thru to place an order. For a binge eater or a compulsive eater, it is common to pass through the drive-thru every day, several times a day.

 

Everything is impersonal and can be conducted through a window. An obese person doesn’t even have to get out of the car. To make matters worse, there’s a good chance that a fast food consumer will eat alone, while sitting in the car.

 

If you are struggling with your weight, you shouldn’t eat by yourself, and you definitely shouldn’t be indulging in fast food meals that are sending your calorie count off of the charts.

 

Portion Control is Blown Out of the Water

 

Everyone knows that size matters when it comes to how much food you are putting in your mouth. The more you eat, the more you are going to weigh, unless you stick with a diet of leafy greens. How fast food relates to obesity is directly tied to portion sizes.

 

When you order fries at a fast food restaurant, you should eat seven or so to have your quota for the day. You’re more likely to get a large carton. You might even go for the super size option. The same can be said for that double or triple hamburger. A small, single burger without the cheese is a reasonable option, but most people aren’t making those healthy choices when they step into a fast food eatery.

 

The temptation is too strong for those who battle with obesity. Walk into a restaurant or drive-thru and that colorful menu is offering everything that you shouldn’t be putting into your body. If you already have problems with keeping your eating habits under control, a fast food restaurant isn’t going to help you to win the battle of the bulge.

 

Obesity is an Illness

 

Everyone needs to recognize the fact that obesity is a disease. There are a host of risk factors, including heredity, environment, and lifestyle that can open the door to obesity for people of all ages. Obesity begins a vicious cycle.

 

As a person suffers from being significantly overweight, quality of life goes down. It becomes difficult to be mobile or live an active lifestyle. Major health problems follow, including stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and heart disease. Sleep apnea poses a serious threat to those who are obese as their airways become blocked at night, cutting off the vital source of oxygen that they need to survive.

 

Once habits that lead to obesity take hold, they are hard to break. Like an addiction to alcohol or drugs, doctors need to recognize that obesity is an addiction as well. How fast food relates to obesity is by providing victims with a cheap, easy fix when they want to overindulge.

 

What’s the Solution?

Fast food isn’t going to go away. The connection between fast food and obesity needs to be understood as a serious threat. Anyone who is serious about getting their weight under control needs to be aware of the dangers of eating fast food.

 

It takes a conscious decision to avoid fast food restaurants completely or choose the healthy options that are available, such as salad, yogurt, and soup. Water should be the beverage of choice, rather than anything sweet. Even diet sodas are not advised because they make it more tempting to eat something sweet.

 

If you are trying to overcome obesity for good, contact us Olde Del Mar Surgical. You’ll find a dedicated team of individuals who want to help you reach the finish line, learn how to manage your cravings for fast food, and discover how you can be healthier in the future.