How fast food affect Obesity?

Particularly in industrialised countries like the United States and the UK, the number of fat people has increased exponentially. In most countries today, obesity has become a public health issue. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, fatty liver, rheumatoid arthritis, joint diseases, and some malignancies are only a few of the long-term health concerns, illnesses, and early deaths that obesity is associated with.

According to studies, the amount of food consumed during the previous 40 years that was eaten away from home has also increased drastically. Because of the huge portion sizes and higher caloric density of foods, eating out is well recognised to raise the risk of obesity and contribute to excessive calorie consumption.

Fast foods fall into this category of food. Fast foods are typically: -

• High in calories
• High in fat
• High in saturated and trans fat
• High in sugar
• High in simple carbohydrates
• High in sodium (salt)

Fast food is associated with higher body mass index, less successful weight-loss maintenance and weight gain. Fast foods reduce the quality of diet and provide unhealthy choices especially among children and adolescents raising their risk of obesity.

Fast foods affect children and youth often worse than adults. This is because most of the fast foods are targeted towards children and there is a sustained pattern of eating fast foods and eating out. Children with a sustained excess energy imbalance intake of approximately 2% result in the development of obesity over time.