What is fast food? Fast food. Junk food

Fast food, both in word and in deed, has rapidly burst into the lives of Russians along with hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and pizza. I liked fast food, but at the same time it acquired a household name. People condemned “snack” lovers for being too lazy to prepare a full meal, which was harmful to health, with high-calorie foods, which, in fact, are stuffed with ordinary sandwiches and buns and pies.

Despite everything, the queue at McDonald's is not decreasing, and consumers are still arguing with nutritionists and doctors about how harmful fast food is.

What is fast food?

Translated into Russian, this name means “fast food”. As a rule, its list includes dishes and products that can be eaten on the go, without the use of dishes and cutlery. Fast food is food that is prepared and delivered to consumers in a short time.

It is usually made from pre-prepared or already cooked and reheated ingredients, and is offered packaged for take-out. The term "fast food" first began to be used in the United States and appeared in dictionaries in 1951, but its roots are actually much older.

What is fast food?

Quickly prepared food is how fast food is translated from English. These batteries include:

• noodles;
• potato;
• crackers;
• chips.

In the 90s of the last century, stores and cafes were filled with food with foreign names, which, to enhance taste and beauty, was replete with various additives. You can get full quickly; you don’t need any special knowledge of how to cook it. Just pour hot water into a plastic cup of pasta and the cheap dish is ready.

History of fast food

Restaurants have existed in one form or another for most of human civilization, but previously they typically catered to travelers. Even in Ancient Greece and Rome, taverns and taverns often served food to people who, for some reason, were away from home. This trend continued until relatively recently.

Although taverns and coffee houses were popular places to gather and spend time, the idea of ​​eating out for entertainment did not develop in society until the late 18th century. McDonald's was the first restaurant to use the conveyor system, but some people consider White Castle to be the first fast food chain. It was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, US.

At that time, most people considered hamburgers sold at fairs, circuses, and street stalls and carts to be of poor quality. Many people thought that this product was made from slaughterhouse waste and spoiled meat.

The founders of White Castle set out to change the way consumers thought about hamburgers. They organized the premises of their restaurants so that customers could see the food being prepared. At the same time, businessmen painted the buildings white and even chose a name that suggested cleanliness. As a result, the White Castle chain quickly gained an excellent reputation throughout the United States, and played an important role in the development of fast food.

In turn, the McDonald's Brothers opened their restaurant with an updated design in 1948, and soon after that several other fast food chains appeared that exist to this day.

For example, Burger King and Taco Bell started in the 1950s, and Wendy's opened in 1969. Some chains, such as Carl's Jr., KFC and Jack in the Box, existed before the advent of the assembly line system, but changed their working methods after her debut. McDonald's, where it all started, is now the world's largest fast food restaurant chain.

MacDonald vs. White Castle

Fast food as an industry originated in the 1920s in America. Until this time, Americans preferred to cook their own food at home, but with rapid industrial growth and the development of the automobile industry in the country, they no longer had enough time to cook. This is where the first restaurants selling fast food appeared.

The pioneer in this area was White Castle, which opened in 1921 in Kansas. there were hamburgers, which were a novelty for Americans at that time. Potential buyers were also pleased with the stable price of food: despite the Great Depression, World War II and inflation, the company sold its hamburgers for five cents until 1946.

When some visitors began to wonder whether such food was harmful, the owner of the chain, Billy Ingram, came up with a cunning move. He hired several young men who, for a small fee, came to the White Castle every day in white coats and ordered hamburgers there. Visitors mistook them for doctors and calmed down. Since even doctors eat hamburgers, it means they are truly safe for health.

At the end of the 1940s, competitors began to appear at the White Castle. The most serious of them turned out to be young.

It all started very modestly: two brothers Dick and Mac McDonald's, who were selling in a small barbecue restaurant for Californian motorists, decided to switch to producing hamburgers. In 1948 they succeeded, and income increased sharply. In 1954, traveling salesman Ray Kroc met them, who proposed opening establishments under the same brand throughout the country. The brothers agreed, and things went ahead. In 1956, there were 14 McDonald's restaurants in the United States, in 1960 - 228, in 1968 - 1000, in 1975 - 3076, in 1980 - 6263, in 1984 - 8300, in 1990 - 11800. McDonald's Corporation has more than 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries, while White Castle has only about 380 restaurants in the United States.

However, in recent years, the mighty McDonald's has begun to experience problems. After a campaign of healthy food activists calling for a boycott of fast food, sales in the United States and other developed countries began to decline, and some restaurants even had to close.

McDonald's is doing best in Russia; dozens of new restaurants open here every year, each with three times more visitors than in European countries.

Reasons for popularity

Fast food is now widely consumed all over the world. As a rule, this is due to the development of chain catering establishments. The popularity of such products is due to a number of reasons.

Availability

One of the reasons why fast food is so popular is that it is inexpensive. According to statistics, fast food can be cheaper than cooking it yourself from quality ingredients or ordering it from a good restaurant.

People can get more for their money by visiting fast food establishments. Nobody wants to spend large sums of money for one meal, but at the same time everyone wants to get something tasty and appetizing. This is especially true when visiting catering establishments with families.

Convenience

Fast food is very convenient, especially on busy days when a person does not have time to prepare a full lunch or dinner. With quick food available, there's no need to spend time in the kitchen or wait long to order at a nice restaurant.

Having visited a fast food establishment, you can eat a satisfying meal in 10-15 minutes, especially if it is located nearby (in big cities there are so many of them that it won’t take long to get to one of them in any area).

Pleasant taste

Fatty burgers and crispy fries or pizza with multi-layered toppings are liked by almost everyone. Whatever you choose from the fast food menu, it will be delicious. None of the other reasons for its popularity would matter if it weren't for its delicious taste. If all fast food tasted bad, no one would buy it. Convenient, affordable and quick meals are exactly what people want, so taste is another bonus.

As the name suggests, fast food is fast. Once your order is placed, you usually don't have to wait long for your food. Therefore, it is an ideal choice for those who are always in a hurry.

Ronald McDonald vs. Roma Blinkov

In Russia during Soviet times, fast food was tight. There were stinking cheburek shops, there were stuffy dumpling shops with vodka, the kids could only go to a wretched ice cream parlor. Therefore, it is not surprising that when the first McDonald's opened in Moscow on January 31, 1990, a huge line of hungry Soviet citizens lined up there.

On the first day alone, more than 30,000 people tried overseas hamburgers with cola. The love for American fast food has only grown stronger since then; McDonald's is still the leader in the Russian fast food market by a huge margin.

In the mid-1990s, the Moscow government tried to compete with the Americans by launching the Russian Bistro national fast food chain, but the idea failed miserably. But lately there have been more than enough people wanting to quickly feed hungry citizens: “Rostiks”, “Yolki-Palki”, “Teaspoon”, “Pizza Hut”, “Kroshka-Kartoshka”... the list is endless. In St. Petersburg there is even a chain of eateries with the heartbreaking name "BlinDonalt's", one must assume that the children there are entertained by the Russian buffoon Roma Blinkov. But is it worth going to such establishments at all?

Ingredients

Fast food is popular because it is inexpensive, convenient, and delicious. However, it is often made with cheaper ingredients such as high-fat meats, refined and refined grains, and added sugars and fats (instead of healthy ingredients such as lean protein sources, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables).

Fast food is also high in sodium (aka salt), which is used as a preservative and makes food more flavorful and filling. Fast food refers to various types of products that have become popular today. There are many varieties of it. The contents of the menu of such an establishment depend on what is popular in a particular region and what products there are low in cost, as well as on what local residents like.

Fast food makes up different dishes such as hamburger.

The main types of fast food common in the world include the following:

Everyone has their favorite fast food.

Disadvantage four: everything will stick together

Sugary sodas and milkshakes at fast food restaurants contain too much sugar
. For example, a can of regular soda contains 6.5 teaspoons of sugar. There is a lot of sugar in desserts - for example, in a 100-gram scoop of ice cream - 3.5 heaped spoons. You get sugar even by eating sandwiches and potatoes - it is added to sauces. At the same time, the daily sugar intake should not exceed 6 teaspoons for men, 4 for women and only 1 for children. Excess sugar leads to weight gain and pancreatic diseases.

Health effects

Fast food is food that can be quickly prepared, sold and eaten without any additional preparation. At the beginning of the 20th century. there has been a boom in its development and today it influences people in many ways. The main reason for its success is its low cost. But this is what creates the problems that many people complain about, and above all, the negative impact on health.

Research has shown a link between eating fast food and an increase in body mass index, as well as weight gain. Many (not all) fast foods are high in saturated fat, which can cause heart disease when eaten in large quantities. In an attempt to provide fast food chains with enough meat for less money, farms tend to abuse animals.

At these enterprises, animals are kept in small, cramped cages, which leads to a lack of natural physical activity. Such fences are a breeding ground for various viruses and bacteria, their mutations, and contribute to the massive infection of birds and livestock.

To avoid this, antibiotics are often used, which ultimately creates strains that are resistant to drugs. When consuming the meat of these animals, people also develop resistance to antibiotics for various diseases.

Open a restaurant

Everyone hates fast food: it’s harmful, they say.

But he is not offended.

And it develops.

An example of this is McDonald's. And not only…

So what is “fast food”? Let's try to figure it out together

Part 1. About fast food in Russian Wikipedia

Let us agree, so as not to go aside and not be distracted, as the FSB officers say, by an unsuitable subject, that it is permissible to use Wikipedia as a means of obtaining information.

The Russian Wikipedia gives the following definition of fast food:

Fast food, fast food dish, fast food product, fast food (English fast “fast” and food “food”) - food with reduced time for consumption and preparation of food, with simplified or eliminated cutlery or off the table. Snack bars are intended for public fast food. "eateries".

Here's the highlighted phrase: meals with reduced eating and cooking time

Let's break the phrase into two parts

Fast food is

1. food with reduced cooking time
2. diet with reduced eating time

Let's figure it out

1. Fast food is food with reduced cooking time

Reduced...hmm...reduced time compared to what? With some reference time for cooking/frying/cooking?

But if the time is reduced, then perhaps the dish is undercooked/undercooked? Because if the meat/fish/cutlet is ready/finished for consumption, then how can you say that the time has been reduced?

Time in this case is a numerical indicator of product readiness. If the time is reduced compared to optimal, then...the product is not ready. Is that how it works?

If the cooking time

• Reduced means the dish is undercooked. And the buyer will certainly notice this and complain.
• Optimal - the dish is ready to eat
• Increased - the dish is ready to eat, but some of the beneficial moisture in the form of juice has evaporated, and the dish has become less juicy and less tasty

Thus, if we bought a hamburger, the main part of which, as we know, is the cutlet, and this cutlet does not show signs of being uncooked/half-cooked, then can we say that the cooking time for the cutlet has been reduced? - can not. If the cutlet is ready, the cooking time for the cutlet has not been reduced from the optimal time. And it was at least optimal

Therefore, the phrase from the Russian Wiki Fast food is... food with reduced cooking time is not correct.

Let's look at the second sentence

1. Fast food is food with reduced eating time.

Well, this phrase is just...ridiculous: no one is driving you or forcing you to eat quickly, right? The speed of food absorption is your personal business and depends only on you: if you want, eat quickly, if you want, eat slowly, chewing each piece 33 times.

Thus,

1. The definition of fast food given in Russian Wikipedia is:… food with reduced time for consumption and preparation of food……

is, from my point of view, incorrect - I explained this above.

1. 99% of people, if you ask them to define fast food, will give exactly the one in Wikipedia

Part 2. About fast food in English Wikipedia

Let's see what Wiki says about fast food in English: Fast food is a mass- produced food that is prepared and served very quickly - ... food that is prepared and served very quickly

Notice! It’s not written “fast”, but “very quickly”...hmm

In the English definition, as in Russian, there are also 2 parts: quickly prepared and quickly released

1. Fast food is food that is prepared quickly . We have previously discussed the phrase Fast food is food with reduced cooking time

Both there and there are about time, but, despite the similarity, these two phrases contain different meanings.

From the English Wiki: Fast food is food that cooks quickly - it means that for cooking , dishes that are cooked quickly are initially taken : if the cutlet is for a burger, then the cutlet is thin, fried for 40 seconds on each side....if potatoes, then fries, - fried in oil for 60 seconds.

That is, dishes that cannot be cooked quickly are not used: a thick cutlet is not taken (if a thick cutlet is needed, 2 thin ones are fried), potatoes for deep-frying are cut into thin strips so that they are fried in a short time...

By the way, about the quality of meat: if the burger patty had low-grade meat, meat in which there is a lot of veins/collagen, the patty would not fry quickly and, in addition, would be tough.

From the Russian Wiki: Fast food is food with reduced cooking time - we sorted that out, see Part 1

2. Fast food is food that is sold quickly

Fast food outlets are take-away or take-out providers that promise quick service

– but this is more like the truth.

The essence of fast food is not to wait in line, but to get food right away. This is especially important when you are in a car - and this is exactly how McDonald’s started: drivers drove up to quickly pick up food/eat.

So, Fast food is quick service, not fast food. It is fast service and minimizing the waiting time for an order that is the essence of fast food.

Conclusions from the above

1. The Russian version of Wiki gives an incorrect definition of the concept of fast food

1. The English version of Wiki gives the correct definition of the concept of fast food

1. Based on the correct definition of fast food, it is more correct to call McDonald’s and others like it not “Fast Food Restaurant”, but “Quick Service Restaurant”.

As it was previously called, but over time the so-called “substitution of concepts” occurred, and “quick service” was replaced by “fast food” / “fast food”. Which to a large extent led to attempts to discredit the entire “fast food” trend.

1. Fast food also includes frozen food - these are dishes that are sold at retail fully prepared and require only heating in the microwave - I do not consider this subsection of fast food.

1. Is there an analogue of the “quick service” format in Russia? - There is. This ordinary table distribution, like in Mumu, is what allows you to get food right away. Well, how quickly will you find a table... and how long will you eat... and is there a line before serving... - that’s another question

1. ...If there are 10 people in line at the cash register at McDonald's, and I only get my food in 10-15 minutes...? How can this be called "fast service"? - alas... this happens. But this does not change the essence of the definition of “fast service”.

1. By the way, it was in connection with delays at the McDonald’s checkout that the concept of “fast casual” was invented/introduced/imposed - this is when you order at the checkout and pay for the order that you receive elsewhere: if under the “old system” you spent 7 minutes at McDonald’s and this wait irritated you wildly, now you spend:

• 2 minutes at the checkout, standing in a queue of 1-2-3 people and paying for the order
• 1 minute to move
• 4 minutes to wait for your order

= the same 7 minutes, but now! you are incredibly satisfied with the speed of service.

In addition, “fast casual” has a legend that the order is prepared “for the guest,” but this, alas, is not always the case. More precisely, somewhere it’s like this, but somewhere it’s not like that. And specifically at McDonald's - it's always not like that.

1. Probably, there is no such thing as bad fast food - it is let down by poor execution, low-quality products, non-compliance with technology, etc.

1. You should not abuse fast food. What about fast food? You shouldn’t abuse anything.

Main harm

Research has shown that the higher the ratio of fast food restaurants and convenience stores to conventional grocery stores and markets, the higher the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, which increase the risk of early death. In addition, fast food can cause other undesirable health effects.

Lethargic state

Eating large portions of high-fat foods (such as hamburgers, French fries, and milkshakes) can cause a person to feel heavy, lethargic, and sleepy.

Harm to the skin

Fast food can cause skin problems such as acne. The reason for this is not chocolate or the abundance of fried foods, but unhealthy foods in general. Negative effects come from excess simple sugar, white flour and empty carbohydrates (such as French fries).

Swelling

Some foods are naturally high in sodium, but it is most often added during cooking. Some of the common sodium additives are glutamate, sodium nitrite and saccharin, baking soda and sodium benzoate, which are used as flavorings or preservatives.

In terms of intake levels for this mineral, it is recommended that adults stick to a limit of 1,500 mg per day and never consume more than 2,300 mg. However, one serving of fast food may contain more than the sodium limit. Too much of it causes the body to retain water, causing bloating and swelling.

Memory loss

Fast foods, especially bacon burgers, some fried foods and milkshakes, are often high in saturated fat. It has been established that they can negatively affect the heart, but there are also studies that show that high consumption can negatively affect brain function and memory.

Scientists say that consuming too much saturated fatty acids in food can impair memory speed, flexibility and prospective memory (the ability to remember what a person intended to do).

Harm to the intestines

Dietary fiber (commonly found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds) plays a dominant role in the digestive system. Fiber helps maintain normal functioning of the digestive tract by removing toxins from the body.

It can lower cholesterol levels and maintain normal blood sugar levels. Most fast foods do not contain enough dietary fiber, which interferes with normal digestion.

Inflammation levels increase

Phthalates, a class of endocrine-disrupting chemical toxins, are used in plastic packaging for food and beverages. They are harmful to health. One study found that people who ate fast food frequently had 35% higher levels of phthalate metabolites compared to those who ate regular whole foods.

According to other data, increased exposure to these substances has a direct connection with metabolic syndrome. In addition, inflammation can cause a variety of health problems, from obesity to nutritional deficiencies.

Harm to teeth

Frequently drinking carbonated drinks can lead to poor oral health. Eating large quantities of them increases the amount of acid in the mouth, which ultimately causes tooth decay. Some desserts offered by chain establishments (for example, McFlurry) have a similar effect.

Mental health

According to some scientists, eating fast food may cause higher rates of depression. One study found that people who ate fast food were 51% more likely to develop depression than those who avoided it.

Increased blood sugar levels

Fast food is a high carbohydrate food that always increases your blood sugar levels. When you consume white flour-based foods (such as burger buns or French fries), your body receives large amounts of white sugar. Frequent consumption of such foods can lead to obesity, which is a clinical diagnosis, and diabetes.

Increased cholesterol levels

Many fast foods are derived from animal products, deep-fried and served with cheese and high-fat dipping sauces. A high percentage of fat in food can increase cholesterol levels, which can also lead to atherosclerosis.

This occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries and obstructs blood flow to the heart and organs. What's more, fast food can lower your good cholesterol (HDL) levels, putting your heart and overall health at risk.

Increased anxiety

Fast food lacks omega-3 fatty acids. A lack of these healthy fats can cause increased mental anxiety. In addition, these foods are also rich in refined carbohydrates, which can lead to fluctuations in blood sugar levels. If glucose levels drop to hypoglycemic levels, a person may experience restlessness, tremors, confusion, and fatigue.

Cancer risk

PhIP is short for 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine. This confusingly named chemical is found in most grilled foods. It is formed when meat is heated to a certain temperature, and its high consumption is associated with the development of breast, prostate and colon cancer.

In addition, fast food meat almost always contains sodium nitrate and nitrite. These additives are used to maintain the vibrant color of meat and inhibit bacterial growth. Both of these substances can break down into nitrosamines, compounds that can cause cancer.

Heart diseases

The fats commonly found in fast food contain huge amounts of saturated fatty acids. They harden at room temperature and are made from animal sources or palm oil. They can be found in abundance in foods such as cheeseburgers and French fries. These fats can increase levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, leading to an increased risk of heart disease.

Decreased bone strength

Fast food is usually high in sodium. One Big Mac contains 970 mg of this compound, more than a third of the recommended daily value. Doctors warn that high sodium intake can lead to decreased bone strength, which can lead to osteoporosis.

Harm and benefit

This type of picture is actually extremely offensive: you don’t have to eat high-calorie foods to be overweight.
We want to remind you that there is no such thing as unhealthy or healthy food, it all depends on the quantity and frequency of consumption of a particular product. People often forget about this, starting to justify their hostility to fast food with similar arguments: “well, if you eat it all the time, you will be fat / sick / scary (underline as appropriate).

But no one offers you to eat such food 24/7. Let’s take modern nutrition recommendations from the WHO: they advise reducing the amount of industrially processed foods in your diet so that a deficiency of macro- and micronutrients does not occur.

The Canadian Food Guide says it's important to cook for yourself more often, eat slowly and enjoy your food. With this approach, the concept of fast food is more contrary not even to the composition of homemade or any other “slow” food, but to the recommended leisurely format of eating.

This is all true, but nevertheless, a complete refusal and ban is not mentioned anywhere. In our diet, it is much more important to maintain variety and balance of macronutrients by choosing high-quality and tasty food . In fact, people who actively adhere to pp are themselves making an important mistake.

The diet of a healthy lifestyle, and in addition a person losing weight, as a rule, turns into an endless repetition of the same dishes with the same products (it’s good if the recipes are at least a little different).

Evaluate your diet using the table below - how varied is your diet? The human body is a very complex biological system that requires a constant supply of building materials to renew, strengthen and maintain shape and beauty. And our task is to receive them.

The term "balanced diet" assumes that your regular menu covers your energy costs and contains all the necessary products for construction and protection. A balanced diet reduces the risk of various diseases, many of which are caused by excess or deficiency of specific nutrients.

So, on one side of the scale is everything you need, and on the other is your food - and here is the balance! But how to achieve it? Variety is the key word.

Dark green leafy vegetables are listed separately because of their special importance. The “cup” measure is equal to a standard glass of 200-250 g.

And yes, the variety also includes conditionally “harmful” foods and dishes. Having a snack twice a week at a fast food chain will not harm your health, but will bring joy and psychological comfort, a feeling of life free from restrictions.

If you look at the composition of the most popular dishes, you won’t find anything terrible in it: a cheeseburger contains 300 kilocalories, 15 grams. protein, 33 gr. carbohydrates and 12 gr. fat The sodium and saturated fat content is 28% of the recommended daily value.

If you want to argue that calories from buckwheat are healthy, and calories from a Big Mac are harmful, then you better not, because this is not true. A calorie is always a calorie. This unit of energy does not depend on the quality of the food; there is no less “energetic” food that, all other things being equal, will give you “low-quality energy” - this is nonsense.

Even carbohydrates in fact are not slow and fast - this is an old myth . Since the mid-80s of the twentieth century, scientific studies began to be published confirming that such a classification is absolutely incorrect. Intestinal absorption of all carbohydrates occurs in the same period of time, approximately equal to 30 minutes, regardless of the complexity of their molecules.

Wahlquist's work confirms that peak glycemia occurs at approximately the same time for all types of carbohydrates, regardless of whether their molecule composition is complex or simple. As the curve in the graph below shows, carbohydrates of any group (regardless of the complexity of their molecules), eaten separately and on an empty stomach, are absorbed in 25 - 30 minutes .

Yes, the level will be different, but the time is the same! It all depends not on time, but on the amount of glucose in the product!

It doesn't even matter to your figure: In a 6-month study of 390 participants, one group ate a diet high in complex carbohydrates, while the other group ate a diet high in simple carbohydrates (with equal amounts of calories and carbohydrates).

At the end of the experiment, it was found that there were no differences in fat loss or muscle retention. The diets were also identical in their effects on blood lipid levels. In support of these findings, other studies have shown that diets with different sugar contents led to the same changes in body composition.

A recent meta-review of the literature on the effects of fructose on body weight concluded that replacing fructose with other carbohydrates for the same caloric value does not cause weight gain.

We discussed this in more detail in the following articles:

• Fast or slow, simple or complex carbohydrates for weight loss - which are better when dieting?
• Fructose, insulin and Glycemic Index in weight loss
• What to eat to lose weight

We don't argue that you don't need to stop eating the McDonald's menu. But we categorically refuse to consider such food as “poison”, “garbage” and the like.

In the context of losing weight: of course, it’s much easier to limit calories to fatty and sweet foods than vegetables and herbs. But this does not mean that your diet should be like that of a rabbit. The most important thing in both weight loss and health is moderation and variety!

We also want to note that despite the fact that, as a rule, a diet based on home-cooked food contains fewer calories in general, this does not mean that home-cooked food is better than store-bought food.

Home-cooked meals may also be high in calories, fat, sugar and salt, and there may be a significant lack of fruits and vegetables. New Year in Russia or Christmas in the USA and European countries is a holiday primarily of homemade food and at the same time a period of mass overeating and problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

How often can you eat fast food?

There is no such thing as a "bad" food, but there are some foods that should be avoided on a regular basis. Because fast food is high in sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, you don't need to eat it often. A safe frequency of consumption of such food is approximately 1 time per week. Many fast food chains have updated their offerings to include healthier options. For example, many have menu items containing fruits and vegetables.

Some establishments even have special items labeled as “light” or “less than 500 calories” to help consumers easily identify less heavy foods. While lower calorie foods are not necessarily healthier, they may be more recommended when choosing between several available options.

For those who eat fast food more than once a week, it is advisable to choose just such dishes. In addition, it is advisable to look up the nutritional information for each menu item on the restaurant's website.

Disadvantage three: too salty

Excess salt leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases and kidney problems, causing urolithiasis. no more than 5 grams of salt
per day —just under a teaspoon. If there is too much salt in the diet, heart disease, hypertension, and kidney stones develop. Experts believe that a safe dose of salt per day for an adult is about 3 g - half a teaspoon. Thus, you can reach your daily salt intake just by having one hearty snack at a fast food restaurant.

What are the dangers of regularly eating fast food?

The high calorie content of fast food comes with low amounts of nutrients. If you overeat fast food, the body will begin to lack the chemical compounds necessary for proper functioning. In this case, saturation will occur due to empty calories, most often excess ones.

If you switch from a balanced diet consisting of whole foods to fast food, there will be a significant increase in calorie intake, including within each meal.

Excess calorie intake can lead to obesity, which puts a person at risk of developing chronic diseases. Statistics show that adults who consume fast food at least once every 2 days have a higher body mass index compared to those who eat a healthier diet.

Thin and Thick

American documentarian Morgan Spurlock decided to experimentally test how harmful American fast food is to health. For a month, he ate three times a day at McDonald's, and always took double portions, which the employees so generously offered him. By the end of the experiment, he gained 12 kilograms of excess weight, severely damaged his liver and developed a decrease in sexual desire and increased cholesterol levels in the blood. He made a documentary about his torment, “Double Portion,” which became a super hit at the American box office.

After looking at this picture, North Carolina resident Mirab Morgan decided to conduct her own experiment. She also began to eat only at McDonald's, and she did this not for one month, but for three whole months. As a result of the experiment, the lady... lost 15 kilograms. The secret is that she made sure to eat no more than 1,400 calories a day.

Nutritionists responded with restraint about this success, noting that French fries and cheeseburgers still lack the vitamins and minerals necessary for the human body.

Mikhail Alekseevsky

Source: Be Healthy Magazine

Harmful to children's development

Fast food can save time and make children happy, but consuming it regularly comes at a cost in terms of various harmful effects. Children who frequently eat such foods inevitably increase the fat and calorie content of their diet, and as a result, they often experience unwanted weight gain, including obesity. Fast food can also reduce children's academic abilities.

Experiments showed that children who ate fast food 4-6 times during the week showed significantly lower scores in math and reading compared to their peers who ate a healthy diet. Excessive consumption of fast food increases the risk of depressed mood in children.

This is because this type of diet often leads to obesity, making the child more likely to experience depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness. According to statistics, overweight children are more likely to be bullied by their peers. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and active lifestyle for the entire family can help reduce these risks.

Fast food causes gastritis, ulcers and other stomach diseases

The first reason for the very possible occurrence of gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, pancreatitis, constipation and other similar diseases, including cancer, from fast food food is the rush in which it is usually eaten. In general, that’s why it’s a “fast food”, so you can absorb it on the run, without really chewing or pausing. But in the end, pieces that are not crushed and not moistened with saliva end up in the stomach. The result is the same problems with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. There is a second reason for the appearance of gastritis and ulcers among regular visitors to fast foods. And it's about... noise and loud music. As scientists have found, people who snack in crowded eateries amid the noise and hubbub of visitors increase the risk of such stomach diseases several times over. Those who muffle the noise with their player while eating, turning it on at maximum volume, also very quickly develop ulcers or gastritis. This “musical noise accompaniment” is especially dangerous for children and adolescents, whose bodies are especially susceptible to it.

Disadvantage six: portions are too large

Standard portions in fast food establishments are unreasonably large
. For example, a large pizza is more than half of an adult's daily calorie intake, a glass of cola is a daily dose of sugar, and just one hot dog is almost twice the safe amount of processed meat per day. And in addition, visitors are offered “double”, “king” and “premium” portions - in which there is even more volume and calories, and a lower price. This marketing ploy causes consumers to eat much more than they intended.