Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. Fast food can also be defined as any food that contributes little or no nutrient value to the diet, but instead provides excess calories and fat. Fast food can be a good way to save time, but it is not the proper way for nutrition.

Some of these foods that are of little nutritional value and often high in fat, sugar, and calories. Common foods include salted snack foods, gum, candy, sweet desserts, fried fast food, and carbonated beverages. Fast food may include chips, hot pies, pasties, sandwiches, burgers, croissants, kebabs, pizzas, chicken, soups, and salads. It also includes drinks, for instance, milkshakes, and soft drinks.

Disadvantages of fast food

When you feel like eating something and think of food, the things come to mind first are the taste, odor or color. Those who have to look after their weight will think of the portion size, many others think of energy, fats, sugars, vitamins or minerals. But do you know that the food we eat may cause side effects and a list of disadvantages. We are not talking about spoiled or poor quality food. Freshly harvested or just cooked food may also cause side effects, some are serious, some are just disturbing, and some may put you into embarrassing situation. Over time, this can lead to an increased risk for illness and disease. Fast food is harmful to health. It is a cause of various diseases. Here we discuss some most common disease and other side effects caused by fast food.

1. Obesity

Obesity means having too much body fat. It is not the same as being overweight, which means weighing too much. Fast food is high in calories and sugar that contribute to increased-weight gain. Even small amount of fast food can increase your calorie intake considerably. Fast foods also replace healthy eating habits, People who consume fast foods are less likely to eat fruits, vegetables, milk etc. This change in eating habits can easily lead to obesity.

2. Heart Disease

People who eat fast-food four or more times a week, up their risk of dying from heart disease by 80 percent. Fast foods create a much higher risk of heart disease because of the high level of saturated or trans fats found in much of the food. Those fats can clog the arteries and, over time, contribute to high cholesterol levels.

3. Type 2 Diabetes

Fast food has become a way of life for many busy persons seeking a fast and inexpensive alternative to cooking at home. Although they may develop type 2 diabetes, this type of diabetes is often caused by poor lifestyle choices, such as being overweight and not being physically active. There is a side effect to consuming frequent amounts of fast food ‘obesity’ which can lead to the development of diabetes.

4. Peptic Ulcer

A peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. For almost 100 years, doctors believed that stress, spicy foods, and alcohol caused most ulcers. Fast Foods which may causes Ulcer are Pizzas, Chips, Salted snakes etc.

5. Lack of family gathering

fast food does not provide family members opportunity to set and eat at one place. Everyone can buy and eat walking in the way, driving a vehicle and during his work in officce. The satisfaction which a combine meal provide is lacking in Fast Food.

6. Irregular timing of eating

A healthy person needs to eat at a proper time which fast food doesn’t have. Fast food can be consumed at any time or sometimes twice or thrice a day, while home-cooked food is served at a proper time which provides opportunity to take rest after eating.

7. Waste of money

Fast food consumes too much money as compared to home prepared food. Low-income people can hardly afford continue use of fast food. It spends a lot of budgets and is also cause of loss of healthy body.

8. Loss of appetite

A normal food contains appetizer which is not properly present in fast food. Continues use of fast food may cause loss appetite, abnormal digestion, and sometimes food poisoning. Fast food does not satisfy all needs of stomach.

9. Lack of essential nutrients

A well-balanced food contains all essential elements which are necessary for human development. Whereas fast food does not have all these elements, this type of food contains some elements in high quantity while others are absent. So, fast food does not fulfill all needs of body and sometime causes disorder.

10. Stress

Foods rich in fat are reasons for many diseases related to heart, blood vessels, liver and many more. It also increases the level of stress. It has been observed that a rich fat meal can increase your stress level and make you at a greater level of stress in comparison to those who have a low fat meal. Certain foods and drinks act as powerful stimulants to the body and hence are a direct cause of stress. Like caffeine containing foods (coffee, tea, colas and chocolates), White flour, Salt, Saturated fats, Processed foods, such as junk foods and fast foods, contain synthetic additives – preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilizers and flavor-enhancers. These foods are called “pseudostressors” or “sympathomimetics”.