If you have ever gone somewhere and needed a quick meal you went to the nearest fast food place to pick up a burger and a large fry. Even though fast food is convenient and cheap, those that have jobs that require lots of traveling have to live off of these unhealthy food these places provide. Traveling jobs eat more fast food than desirable, because they lack the resources and time to make their own food and have fast food near wherever they go at their convenience and at a poor nutritional level. The difficulties here are trying to eat better food by planning ahead and recognizing the struggle for traveling jobs like semi-truck drivers and many positions that require flying or driving. Even though fast food is unhealthy for our us many truck drivers tend to eat at these establishments for the majority of their days hauling. The fast food they eat lacks nutritional content and has a high calorie, sodium, fat, and/or, sugar intake. According to WebMD, “. . . researchers suggested that certain factors inherent to fast food …show more content…
They may have to spend most of their time around airports and hotels, as they wait in an airport they have fast food options and also a few vending machines to choose from. Always having poor food choices around a traveling worker promotes bad eating habits and thus an unhealthy lifestyle. In the article “Hit the Road Jacked” found in Men’s Health those that travel have a higher risk for chronic health problems. “. . . transportation workers, including truckers, are the fattest and have the highest risk for chronic health problems of any occupational group. Considering the ramifications (heart attack, stroke, fatigue…), the 2.5 million trucks on U.S. roads just might be our biggest national safety threat” (Kita). The long lasting effects of eating unhealthy food puts the a risk on the lives of
Many Americans have consumed fast food at least once in their lifetime, whether it is McDonalds or Taco Bell, Chipotle or Subway. Fast food can often times be the only readily available alternative food source in the busy everyday lives of the average American citizen. According to the Pew Research Center, on a daily basis 50 million Americans are served in fast food restaurants such as McDonalds or Taco Bell (Pew Research Center, 2014). That means 1 out of every 19 Americans eat fast food on an everyday basis. Over consuming fast food or eating it too often can lead to many mental and health problems such as depression, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and more. Police officers, who are often on the go and unable to find time to sit down to a homemade meal, are affected by consuming fast food in various ways because they must stay in mental and physical shape in order to perform well in their field. Many police officers begin to deteriorate after they join the force due to no enforcement of physical fitness. Overconsumption of fast food can lead to unhealthy officers in the police force and in the general population overall.
Eating five to six servings of fruit, choosing whole grains or even just avoiding foods high in density can be a step closer to reducing chances of becoming obese or overweight. Mark Bittman in his article, “Is junk food really cheaper,” argues that Americans are wasting their money on junk food or fast food restaurants when that money could be used towards a healthy home cooked meal. He persuades the readers to have alternatives. Instead of buying McDonalds’ French fries people should get apple slices, instead of drinking sodas drink water, instead of buying junk food get vegetables. Bittman states, “The fact that junk food is cheaper than real food has become a reflexive part of how we explain why so many Americans are overweight, particularly those with lower incomes.” I agree food (fast food) plays a huge role unto why Americans are so overweight. It is because fast food is so convenient and inexpensive to some. Even if a person wanted to eat healthy from a fast food restaurant, salads are more expensive than a burger or chicken nugget meal. How can a person with low income choose the “healthy” way when the healthy way is more expensive? Although fast food can be beneficial more so convenient in the short term, it can be very detrimental in the long term. One man filmed a documentary where he was supposed to eat McDonalds three times a day. Unfortunately during the film, he had to stop because his health started to fail. This shows that fast food is indeed not good for people’s
Obesity can be caused by a combination of fast food and the environment people live in today. Fast food contains foods that are high in fats, sugars, and starches. These ingredients have rarely any nutritional value to the human body. Most of the foods available at fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC contain concentrated salt and preservatives to enhance the flavor in them. Obesity has become the defining aspect of our nation by surrounding the people with fast food products. The freedom to choose what one wants, gives the fast food companies the right to give one unhealthy food. The consumption of fast food products regularly greatly increases one’s chance of having health disparities such as Coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers, stroke, Hypertension, and Osteoarthritis. These negative effects are present with the daily eating of fast foods.
Candelaria states in her article, “Eating a Western diet with lots of processed or fried foods that can raise blood levels of “oxidized” cholesterol and could increase heart attack risk”. Since fast food contains a surprisingly high amount of sugars it can aid in causing type two diabetes, especially if eaten over long period of time. Diabetes may contribute to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease and blindness (Candelaria). Frequent consumption of processed, fatty foods may lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, which may result in a stroke. Also, an obese person is associated with a higher prevalence of acquiring asthma as well ...
As busy Americans, we’re always on the run. When hungry and in a hurry there are many speedy, convenient, and healthy items available. Many people believe that fast-food chains are a central cause of obesity in America because there is plethora amount of fast-food restaurants on every block, but very few healthy alternatives. Sure, fast food restaurants are very easy to find and offer quick service, but there are other options that are also healthy, convenient, and economica...
The world we live in today revolves around our convenience. The average lifestyle involves juggling school, work, sports, and family but where does food fit into the equation? We need to feed ourselves to survive so we have no choice, but to fit it into our busy schedules. Most people don’t have time to sit down and have the traditional home cooked meal anymore. Instead they have to eat on the go to keep up with their fast pace schedule. The food that can be provided fast and through a drive through is not necessarily the healthiest for our bodies and this is why I believe the majority of society is becoming overweight. An online source stated, “Partly due to the fast food culture, about 60% of Americans are overweight or obese.” The busy American lifestyle requires us to eat processed foods that cannot provide our bodies with the needed nutrients to stay at a healthy weight.
Eating habits have become a cause of obesity because most people in America decide to take the fast route. Fast food has become so prevalent in the day to day lives of so many families and individuals. The cost and convenience of fast food has led to an increase in consumption, which does not help our cause. According to Carey Polis’ article in The Huffington Post, fast food is about $550 cheaper per year than choosing the healthy option. That means people are more likely to choose a cheeseburger from McDonald’s over fresh fruit and vegetables from the produce section at the grocery store. Along with how cheap it is to get our hands on fast food, the convenience makes it even more difficult to resist. With a fast food restaurant on every corner of every block in town, it makes it much easier for someone to pick up on a meal on their daily commute rather than actually trying to cook something healthy. Choosing fast food is not the most nutritious way to go either. Fast food is filled with sugar, fats, salts, and calories. It is usually low in nutrition and high in what are considered to be “empty” calories. By definition obesity is caused by the excess in...
Eating industry food is your own responsibilities even though industrial food is convenience. People eat industry food especially fast-food because it is simple and fast. Many people are so busy at their life such as working, studying, and playing. We also no longer live in the old fashion days which women stay at home and do the housework. Fast-food restaurant is everywhere as you can see it today. It provided a fast and quick serve for you. Murray claim: “While you’re pumping your gas you punch in the Fritos, the Twinkies and the coke, and somebody brings it you your car. So the physical activity required to go in and get it is eliminated.”(qtd in murry 33). It is accessible in your daily activities. You can get it in a short period of time such as during lunch break at work and school. Brownlee states: “These guys ate at fast-food joints because they had absolutely no interest in cooking for themselves and didn’t give a rip about the nutritional quality of food. They didn’t even care much abou...
Millions of American people buy fast food every day without thinking about where, how and why. The ramifications of fast food is impacting the American people both around the waist line and the community where they live at. “As the old saying goes: you are what you eat.” (Schlosser) The customer have made the choices to eat fast food or not. The industry doesn’t care about the customers; studies have shown that the fast food industry is the reason for the rise of American obesity. “Live fast and die young” (Moore); this could not be more true when looking at the impact of the fast food industry.
Fast food has been a very common solution for on the go eating because a restaurant is located at almost every corner and the convenience of drive thrus give people the luxury of not even having to get out of their car. Sutter Health indicates that over 25 percent of Americans consume fast food daily. It is not a secret that fast food has been blamed for being one of the major causes of obesity. This brings up the question how exactly does fast food affect specifically your everyday activities when it is consumed. Numerous arguments have been made about how fast food can hinder your daily progress and why it should be avoided or maybe be eaten but only in moderation.
American life is quick paced and busy. Americans want quick reliable transportation, quick internet connection, quick money, quick healing, quick weight loss, quick energy, and even quick service from the restaurants they eat out at. When a busy person is looking for a quick, easy food, fast food is usually the best option. The main food at a fast food restaurant is usually a burger and French fries. Fast foods restaurants are popular in America because they are inexpensive and served very quickly. There’s no problem with eating fast food every so often, but if a person is eating it almost every day, it can lead to serious health concerns. Americans love to eat. However, it is important to understand that what goes into one’s mouth can affect the rest of the body. Fast food has brought a change into American lives. Hunting for food was once a full time job for humans. Today, such thoughts have become ancient. Food is delivered at the footsteps of your door. In addition, fast food's easy access has strongly contributed to the epidemic of obesity. Furthermore, the marketing of fast food through the media has become big business.
Typically, countries such as America are trying to become a healthier nation despite of what they are accustomed to. America has been conditioned to the lifestyle of eating fast foods and ultimately has became an important part of their culture. Fast food restaurants such as Mcdonalds, Burger King, and KFC represent the image of America from the views of foreign countries. Since fast food is becoming abundant in America, they have picked up the trend of eating not only three meals a day but now four. This is problem because of how unhealthy fast food is: “Fast food is an affordable and convenient way to fill yourself up when on the run. Although you shouldn't feel guilty for an occasional indulgence, regularly eating fast food can seriously damage your health.” (Lee, par. 1). Many of these fast food restaurants are open 24 hours a day to encourage people to eat their fourth meal. Similarly, restaurants have made all you can eat options, including unlimited ice cream, pizza, fried chicken, and more. This specific type of food is readily available and extremely cheap in America, therefore Americans take advantage of this by consuming food without culture or tradition. In other countries, food has a greater importance and is more valued. Moreover, they look down on A...
Whether people are willing to admit it or not, the desire for convenience is one of the main factors that leads to obesity. In today’s fast-food industry, it’s extremely hard to find food that isn’t “highly processed, full of fat, calories and sodium” (Muntel). While people are recommended to eat an average of 1,500-1,800 calories and around 50-60 grams of fat per day, one can easily take in a whole day’s worth of calories and fat in one fast-food meal. However, people don’t think about this fact while driving past countless fast-food restaurants on their way home from work. One can find anything from a crunchy taco to deep fried chicken all at the same intersection. This abundance of fast-food restaurants makes it no longer necessary to spend hours at the grocery store or even preparing a meal when food for the whole family can be ready in a matter of minutes. Sarah Muntel shares her insight as to why people are so drawn to fast-food:
As Americans, we’re always on the go. When hungry and have no time there are many fast and healthy items available. Many people who say that fast food chains is the main cause of obesity in America because there are plenty of fast food restaurants on every block with very few healthy options ("Do Fast Food Restaurants Contribute to Obesity?"). Fast food business are very easy to find and offer quick service, but there are other options that are healthy, especially in urban areas. Restaurants such as Panera offer a range of items that are healthy and offer a quick service for those on a schedule. In addition to these healthier options, it is also possible to pack their own snack or meal. People often become lazy when it comes to just cooking their meals at home. This choice allows the customer, to control what they eat.
Many people don 't realize how unhealthy stopping at the drive-thru is. Fast food can negatively affect you physically and emotionally. A average woman should have 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day. An average man should have 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day. When eating fast food regularly increases your chances of type 2 diabetes. In a 15 year study, people who ate at least 3 days a week fast food gained 9.9 pounds of body weight, compared to a person who ate once a week. Most fast food meals are high and low in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables help to balance a high fat meal, helping to reduce the harmful effects on the blood vessels. According to studies within 3-5 hours of eating a high fat meal, your blood vessels function usual. For some people this can cause a heart attack or a stroke. Fast food may lead some people to depression compared to people who have little to no fast food. According to studies the more fast food you eat the greater risk you are of