Fast Food Meals Obesity
Obesity and being overweight are defined as medical disorders wherein there is an excessive or abnormal amount of fat accumulated in the body which poses a serious threat to one’s overall health. A common and popular method of measuring one’s level of obesity is to calculate one’s Body Mass Index (BMI) which is arrived at by dividing a person’s weight by the square of their height. The individual’s weight will have to be measured in kilograms, while their height needs to be measured in meters.
Both obesity and being overweight can cause serious health risks and chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and even diabetes. Obesity is mainly caused by the excessive intake of calories, minimal or no physical activity, and even other factors like genetics and medical illnesses. A fast food meal is typically characterized by its high fat and salt content.
The unhealthy fats and processed flour in these products increases the calorific value of the foods and making them poor food choices. Fast food and obesity are so closely linked that the term fast food obesity was coined. Fast food obesity is the type of obesity that is caused specifically by the excessive intake of junk food. As the number of junk food outlets increases the number of fast food obesity cases increases as well. Junk foods do not satiate the hunger in an individual for long periods of time and hence cause them to eat more frequently. Many fast foods also have high levels of carbohydrates which when consumed result in the production of sugar in the body. High levels of sugar in the blood will result in the excessive production of insulin by the liver which is then converted into fat and eventually leads to obesity. The constant fluctuation in the sugar levels will also make one constantly hungry which will prompt a person to eat more. The refined flour that is used in mot fast foods does not have any nutritious fiber and hence only leads to accumulation of fat in the body and even medical disorders like diarrhea and constipation. This is more common in the case of deep fried or oily fast foods. Many people have become obese on account of frequent fast food consumption as it is easier to eat a readymade meal than to make the time in our busy schedule to prepare a wholesome and nutritious meal.
Fast food obesity also gives rise to various other diseases like arthritis and high blood pressure besides affecting one’s self esteem and emotional mind set.
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