Fast Foods

Fast food is a term used to describe food that is served and prepared quickly. It is sold in restaurants and establishments that have specialized in the same. There are different varieties of fast food that include chips, hot pies, pasties, sandwiches, burgers, croissants, kebabs, pizzas, chicken, soups, and salads. It also includes drinks, such as milkshakes, and soft drinks. The fast food system is found all over the world with each country showing variations in the types of items offered and the establishment
serving.Fast foods have grown quite fast. The fast food industry started with very few vendors and had become a multinational business.  Money spent on fast foods has increased gradually from six billion in 1970 to one hundred and ten billion in 2000 (Larson 994).  According to Schlosser, Americans devote more money on fast foods as compared to the money spent on higher education tuition fees annually.
Fast foods have become a major source of job opportunities. There is a major business such as the Kentucky Fried Chicken McDonalds, Burger King and many other more. This creates a platform for the social unemployment issues are being solved. Hence, the fast food industry has a positive effect on people's lives.The increase of fast foods can be attributed partly due to the convenience of packaging food, fast services, and low cost. Also, many people work long hours as well as working double shifts. There is a significant increase in the number of women working and spend more time cooking at home there; their families spend much more on fast food meals.  Another cause is the rapid growth of the economy, and hence even the young people have money to spend. With the current increases in advertisement forums, it leads to a rise in the sale of fast foods. Many children immediately after school go to fast food outlets. They like the food since it is tasty
Even though fast foods are oftenly preferred, it is wise to take caution before making a decision on whether to take or not. Eating foods that are quickly prepared comes with several health risks. Putting into consideration the origin of the food and how it is taken care off the satisfaction got from the food is overweighed by the health hazards. Some of the health risks are quite fatal. One of the risks associated with fast foods is obesity. Taking fast foods frequently without doing workouts could lead to obesity due to the high saturation of fats and calories. Heart disease is a major factor tagged along with obesity that is life threatening. Obesity leads to heart attacks due to the lack of enough room to pump blood  (Schlosser 4).
 Foodborne illnesses is another hazard that can be caused by fast foods. How the animals get handled for example hanging cows and chicken upside down could expose the food to the entry of bacteria. The animals are beaten to be herded into place. In the facility, the handlers punch, kick and knee pigs and finally stroke with a steel stunning tong at least twenty times.  In a study done recently at least 48% of soda fountains in fast food restaurants, all contain coliform bacteria. In a recent survey in the United States, food-borne diseases cause at least six million to eighty-one million illnesses and up to nine thousand deaths annually (Mead 842).Fast foods are devoid of vegetables and fruits but high in fat. A meal containing either vegetables or fruits helps a person balance a high fat content leading to a reduced adverse effect on the blood vessels. Therefore, fast food can cause a cardiac event such as a stroke mainly if the person has coronary disease. Diseases caused by eating fast foods have become the second biggest killer in the United States after smoking (Schlosser 4)
In conclusion, not all fast foods are unhealthy. There is an increase in fast food restaurants that offer healthier options. There are available ways to customize a person order for it to be healthy. To reduce both sodium and fat content choosing orders of plain hamburgers without cheese and small fries could be effective. To stay healthy, one needs to add fresh fruits, side salad and plain baked potato on their plate to replace french fries. Since everyone gets thirsty, replacing the soda with water will keep you more healthy. Other options that are significantly lower in fats, sodium, calories and sugars are full six salads and low-fat sub sandwiches.  Fast foods are the easiest and cheapest ways of food. The success of fast foods is based on the significant advantage in the market due to its convenience than the alternative (Collins 7). There is an increase in the society's concern about the health effects brought by fast foods. Hence, It is important to make sure visiting a fast food restaurant does not become a habit.Visiting it once in a while is a better option. Fast food can be a good way to save time, but it is not the proper way to nutrition.









Works Cited
Collins, Tracy Brown. Fast Food. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven, 2005. Print.
Larson, Nicole, and Mary Story. "Fast Foods." Encyclopedia of Adolescence: 989-97. Print.
Mead, Paul. "Food-related illness and death in the United States." Journal of Environmental Health 62.7 (2000): 841-42. Print.
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print.