About 50 million Americans eat fast food in the United States every day and you may consider yourself one of them. Walking into your favorite fast-food restaurant or hitting the drive-thru tends to happen more often than some would like to admit. Crazy statistics have shown that about twelve percent of children's calories are consumed by fast food. Fast food consumption has become quite widespread not only among millennials but among families of different ages. This phenomenon has been an ingrained habit in many homes. This is where the dangerous part falls; once something becomes a habit it is no longer under one's control. The person is a victim of the previous choices they have made, because each choice begins a behavior that over time becomes a habit. The increase in fast food consumption is relatively due to its convenience and cheap price. People rely on cheap foods that save time and fill their stomachs. Compared to the prices of organic foods or the ingredients needed to prepare a healthy and nutritious meal at home; buying fast food is a big savings. In today's fast-paced world, people are also looking for food that satisfies their taste buds and is served to them quickly. This is a great advantage for those who want to save time by preparing a homemade meal or, in the first place, for those who don't like to cook. While fast food can sometimes be a good option in terms of convenience, time, and budget, it still has profound and horrible effects on our bodies, which we will discuss in this essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Consuming fast food poses serious health risks to the body, including physical effects, mental effects, and social effects. Junk food is essentially defined as food that is high in calories, highly processed, and contains little nutritional value. Fast food, on the other hand, is defined as food that is prepared and consumed quickly. While fast food may have healthier options, most fast food is classified as junk food. Enjoying fast food often involves excluding the knowledge that these foods involve a lot of processing, modifications, and horrible ingredients from horrible places. Some of the ingredients used in fasting include cheaper ingredients such as refined grains, sodium, added sugars, and high-fat meats. A healthier option might instead include nutritious ingredients such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Since fast food is high in cholesterol, sodium, saturated and trans fats, it is not something to eat very often. Research shows that even a single fast food meal can impact a person's health. That single fast food meal can cause inflammation in the body, increased blood pressure, and a rapid drop in blood sugar. The drop in blood sugar is due to the consumption of added sugars and a high content of refined carbohydrates which leads to an increase in insulin. This will leave the person irritable, tired and hungry for more. If one-time consumption causes this, how bad will eating for a long period of time be on our bodies? Just a few days of junk food could actually trigger a person's metabolism. Their muscles lose the ability to convert glucose into energy even though their calorie intake has been kept constant. In the long term, this change could lead to insulin resistance and ultimately type 2 diabetes. Another effect is poor digestion. Since junk food lacks fiber, eating too much of it could lead toconstipation. Overall, regular junk food consumption is linked to increased risks of digestive problems, heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and premature deaths. It's quite sad and disturbing that about half of American adults eat fast food at least once every seven days. Sometimes people might be aware of the harmful effects of fast food on their physical health. It only makes a minority know that this low-quality food can also have harmful effects on an individual's brain and mental health. Studies say that fast food can actually cause mental disorders and fuel depression. Other documented impacts of these foods include mood swings, violence and aggression, anxiety and mental confusion. The situation could be even worse for children. The answer to relieving anxiety and depression is as simple as changing your diet. Too much fast food triggers an inflammatory response in the brain. This inflammation is linked to causing anxiety and depression by past research. Finally, a diet low in junk food has been shown to be harmful to society. It brings too many negative effects on an individual's life. “Today, more than two in three adults in the United States are considered overweight or obese. Over a third of children between the ages of six and nine are considered overweight or obese. The growth of fast food in America appears to coincide with the growth of obesity in the United States. The Obesity Action Coalition OAC reports that the number of fast food restaurants in America has doubled since 1970. The number of obese Americans has also more than doubled. .” Obese people are more susceptible to contracting diseases and suffer from low esteem and social tribulations. As far as American culture is concerned, fast food plays an important role in creating a society that wants everything now and wants it fast and cheap. Children, for example, make excellent requesters. They demand things immediately and parents usually try to please them. However, parents are no different as they are always looking for ways to satisfy the hunger and cravings of the whole family with what requires the least effort: fast food. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To conclude, families tend to consume fast food regularly because they believe it is more convenient, faster, cheaper, and easier. However, people are blind to the unhealthy consequences these foods have on physical, mental and social health. Food is no longer pure and natural; on the contrary, it is false and artificial. Restaurants no longer provide a service but provide some manufactured and genetically modified products. The industry is willing to reach every American home without thinking about the consequences they might face. To take action, Dr. Fuhrman says, “We need a revolution in information about our nutrition and health food and it all starts with you.” Works Cited Malik, V. S., Pan, A., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. ( 2013). Sugary drinks and weight gain in children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 98(4), 1084-1102. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.058362 Ludwig, D. S., Peterson, K. E., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2001). Relationship between consumption of sugary drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective and observational analysis. The Lancet, 357(9255), 505-508. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(00)04041-1O'Connor, A. (2011, July 19). Fast food linked to asthma and childhood eczema, study finds The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/health/20fastfood.htmlNguyen, S.P., Ding, D., and Mihrshahi, S. (2018). Fruit and vegetable consumption and psychological distress: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyzes based on a.,/79.1.6