The Effects of Fast Food on the Human Body

The Effects of Fast Food on the Human Body

A mother driving home late from work is thinking about what to make for dinner that can be easily prepared. She sees a couple signs for fast food along the side of the road. She does not think twice and pulls into the dive through to pick up dinner for the night. This happens all over the world without a thought as to what is put into our bodies and what the consequences will be later in life. The problem with this is that more people are becoming obese and having other major health problems which are shortening their lives. The easiest way to stop this cycle is to be educated on the right types of food for the body and to learn to prepare meals at home.

A good example of what can happen to the body come from the experiment ran by Morgan Spurlock and his team of doctors. What Morgan wanted to do was bring awareness to the growing problem of obesity in America. Most people have heard of the movie “Super-Size Me” and wonder why a person would want to knowingly do something harmful to their bodies and their families’ bodies. Over a thirty day time frame Morgan ate nothing but McDonalds three times a day and he only supersized it if the staff asked. Even though he though he knew what would happen to his body he was very surprised at the results and health problems than were a result from just a few weeks on a diet like this.

The results were nothing short of astounding. Morgan gained 24.5 lbs. up from 185.5, his liver turned into fat, and his cholesterol shot up 65 points. He gained 7% body fat, and nearly doubled the risk for coronary heart disease. At day twenty one he was having chest pains that the doctors could not explain. He often was left feeling depressed and tired, had frequent mood swings, and his sex-life had completely gone away. Within one month of this diet Morgan went from a relatively healthy man to someone who needed to go on a low-fat diet and had almost doubled his risk of coronary heart disease (UNC. 2005). While this was an extreme diet done for a short period of time imagine what would happen after eating this way for a couple of years.

We all know fast food is not healthy for us, but not too many people ever consider what it is really doing to our bodies. Processed meat contains nitrates, nitrites, artificial sweeteners and monosodium glutamate which all contribute to increased blood flow and can cause a migraine attack (Health Effects of, 2013, Para 2). There is an increase in cholesterol levels which if not taken care of can lead to blocked arteries and potentially cause a heart attack. Fast food contains sometimes 45% more trans-fat than something more natural. In one study from the University of London fast food can even be a cause of depression. This is because fast food doesn’t have antioxidants, foliate and omega-3’s which are good for good mental health (Health Effects of, Para 4). When eating fast food,