The Effects of Eating Fast Food Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Eating Fast Food Essay Americans have been choosing fast food as a replacement for classic homemade meals for many of years. It is fast and convenient, but the negative effects outweigh the good effects by a long shot. Eating fast food daily affects Americans’ health, diet, leaves a hole in their pocket, and even changes their everyday mood. The effects might not be seen right away, but after time they will start to add up. It has been proved that replacing a homemade meal with fast food has had a huge effect on Americans’ health. It does not take a scientist to figure out that fast food is not a good choice. Basically, fast food is high in calories, salt, sodium, and fat. This can cause weight gain and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and that is just naming a few. A survey of how often Americans ate fast food in the last 60 days states that 25% of Americans have eaten fast food everyday and it is only rising (Ludwig). If we do not act soon about this, the numbers can only get worse. Fast food has changed America as a whole but it affects their diet the most. Fast food contains double the amount of calories as home cooked meals do. A 2007 survey from Hara Marano’s journal, â€Å"The Far Reach Of Fast Food,† found that the average fast food lunch in New York totaled 827 calories. That is almost half of an average American’s daily calorie intake. With more and more fast food commercials advertising a new burger or a new sandwich, it makes it even more tempting to make a quick stop at a fast food restaurant. Students who have open campuses at schools or colleges over Schell 5 the lunch period are pretty much obligated to go for fast food. They are short on time and need something fast and cheap. It may seem like a plus at first. Fast and cheap food, why not? Students are so short on time they tend to forget about what they are putting in their mouth. Americans are spending $110 billion annually on fast food, as stated by Marcella and Greta’s article, â€Å"Avoid The Fast Food Trap. † Money spent on fast food could go towards payments for a higher education, mortgage, computers, or new automobiles. Which is a better choice? 5. 6% of Americans’ income goes to fast food (Durand ). For a person to realize how much of their money is going to fast food, save it instead and count it after a few months. It is amazing how much money is being spent on food. After filling up after a quick meal, the feeling is often happy or satisfied. That feeling will not last for long because it also causes depression. According to Kelly Brownell’s article, â€Å"In Your Face: How the Food Industry Drives Us to Eat,†it is a proven fact that fat, greasy food can negatively change a mood. It also stated that if an average American eats it at least three times a week he or she is 50% more likely to develop depression. This is a lose-lose situation because eating a lot of fast food is proven to cause depression, but Americans who are depressed tend to turn to food. Some can completely disagree on every negative effect that was stated above. They argue that it is cheap and affordable and it makes your children happy. They must have not thought about the prices of their hospital bills once they develop diabetes, heart disease, stroke, or become obese. They argue Schell 6 that it makes your children happy, so why not give them what they want. If they get what they want while growing up they will soon become used to it and will think of fast food as an everyday meal. Not to mention, restaurants that serve fast food provide Americans with job opportunities. That is one positive effect of the rising fast food restaurants being built. Therefore, the unemployed will be able to get an easy job causing the unemployment rate to go down. However, working around food only makes it more tempting to eat a quick burger or scarf down a few fries on break. Lastly, Americans should realize that the bad factors outweigh the good when it comes to eating fast food every single day. Also that it is not worth replacing the classic, tasty homemade meals. Saving more time by going through the drive thru sounds more important at the time but it is not worth it in the end. A homemade meal takes, at the most, 60 minutes of an American’s day to make a healthier, tastier meal. Fast food affects Americans’ long term health. It changes their diet and it soon becomes hard to control. It is proven that it causes depression and it starts to take a toll on your wallet.