Fast food is the unhealthiest food being marketed by most popular fast food chains like McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, KFC etc. Fast food is cheap and it tastes good; that is why it has a very broad market. Fast food meal is packed up with sodium, calories and fat. Eating fast food on daily basis can cause a number of diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes and other heart diseases. Fast food is very addictive so, one should make careful menu selections while ordering it and drink water with their meals. Following are the reasons why fast food is bad for health:
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Too much salt
Fast food like burgers, chicken and fries are coated with salt when they are cooked. Many people consume far more than 1 teaspoon of salt daily but fast food contains double the quantity of salt. A person should consume less than 2300 milligrams of salt per day.Other menu items that are rich in salt include cheese and ranch dressing.
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Too much saturated fat
One of the leading causes of obesity, poor cardiovascular health, high blood pressure and diabetes is particularly saturated fats and trans fats. Mostly fast food menu items like cheese burgers, fries and fried chicken are rich in fat and cause many life threatening diseases.
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Too little nutrition
A healthy meal includes fiber, protein, vitamins, fresh fruits, vegetable, whole grains and other minerals but fast food lacks all these things. Our body needs nutrition to function properly. Hence, eating fast food on daily basis can disturb the functioning of body parts.
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High palatability
One of the major reasons of obesity is high palatability. The addictive nature of fast food can lead to obesity. It makes you eat fast and wants more of it.
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Large portion size
Fast food meals normally have large portions which look mouthwatering and people eat it without considering its side effects. Large portions encourage over eating and that is why most people go for large over size portions.
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Numerous artificial flavors
Fast food becomes attractive enough for the people to buy it with the help of vibrant artificial colors and flavors. Although they enhance the flavor and palatability but at the same time the preservatives, artificial colors and flavors are harmful for your health.
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High glycemic index foods
Fast food items like desserts, candy, cornflakes, French fries, white bread, syrup, jellies, jams, soda drinks are high glycemic index foods which cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels. Because of the presence of glycemic index in fast food, it can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes.