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1. Much of the public seems unconvinced that if they eat an excess of , they will become ill.
2. Many urban councils have developed initiatives to change fast food consumption habits by issuing restrictions on how many can sell fast food.
3. A number of scientists believe that an instinctive characteristic people share causes them to
4. One problem is that a fast food diet has become glamorous and
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THE UNSTOPPABLE RISE OF AND
| It is astonishing to contemplate how popularjunk food has become, given that the first fast food restaurant in the US only opened its doors a mere century ago. Since then, high-calorie processed meals have taken over the world, with multinational restaurant chains aggressively chasing levels of growth that show no signs of slowing down. Much of this expansion is currently taking place in less developed parts of the world, where potential for customer loyalty is seen as easier to develop, but it is not just in these areas where such growth is visible. Indeed, a recent study from the University of Cambridge found that the number of takeaways in the United Kingdom rose by 45 per cent between 1997 and 2015. This explosion in the takeaway trade is not an inevitable outcome of what we call 'progress’. On the contrary, it comes in the face of an increasing body of evidence that we are heading for dietary disaster. |
Yet, despite nutrition experts' best efforts to educate people about the dangers of a diet filled with processed food, it appears that the world doesn’t want to listen. Medical specialists point out that, although eating too much unhealthy food is likely to be as dangerous in the long-term as smoking, regular consumption of high-calorie food has somehow become more socially acceptable than ever. While local authorities in some towns and cities have ta ken measures to combat the rise in this trend by limiting the number of fast food outlets permitted to be open simultaneously, critics argue that people have every right to make their own decisions ab0ut what they eat and how they choose to live. However, the way in which we have come to binge on takeaways isn't only a personal issue of weight gain, or of buying larger clothes. The consequences of mass overconsumption should strike fear into the hearts of everyone. |
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Research suggests that there is an evolutionary reason as to why people compulsively overeat - it is simply part of our innate behaviour.When humans evolved, we did not have the abundant supply of food that we enjoy today, and so eating was more about survival than pleasure. We became more likely to opt for high-calorie foods, with high fat content, that could sustain us through cold winters when the Supply of nourishment became sparse, This explains why a GOO-calorie burger seems so attractive: it awakens cur primal side, makes us feel well fed, inspires contentment. Processed food stimulates the reward response in our brains, so we feel compelled to overeat, and not necessarily in a healthy way. Junk food acts as a trigger for chemicals such as the 'feel-good' dopamine to flood through the brain and induce a sensation of happiness. Meanwhile, high amounts of sugar and sodium (one of the chemicals in salt and other ingredients of fast food) cause a huge surge in blood sugar, pushing it to unnatural levels.
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This occurs within the first few moments of eating a high-calorie meal. From there, routinely processingSuch high levels of sodium is impossible, and the body's organs are pushed beyond their natural working capacity in trying to do so. The kidneys cannot remove all the excess salt from the blood,and thus an overdose of sodium causes the heart to pump faster while transporting blood through the veins. There are multiple dangers of high blood pressure, especially for the elderly and in the long-term. Sodium taken on in such quantities can lead to dehydration, a condition whose symptoms are extremely Similar to hunger, and this leads to a painful truth: as soon you have finished your junk food meal, you immediately start to crave another. Thereafter, the body starts to digest the food. Usually, this takes between four and 12 hours, but with fast food, where the fat content is so much higher, the same process lasts at least three days. |
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A number of Studies have shown how young people can become even more addicted to junk food than adults. When a child eats a burger, the same neurological processes occur as in their parents: their brain’s reward system is awoken, dopamine is released, a Spontaneous feeling of excitement results, their blood sugar rockets, and so on. An adult can apply their maturity to understand that this thrill is not entirely without drawbacks, and that hey need to control their urge to eat more. However, a child cannot necessarily see any negative consequences to this urge and the potential effects of their lack of self-control,so they find it far more difficult to exercise restrain: and moderate their food consumption.
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It is common to read or to hear criticism of the junk food industry that does so much to promote the overconsumption of its products. But it does not appear that any of this criticism is changing widespread dietary habits in any substantial way. What is more, the humble burger has been elevated to such a point that many people no longer see it as simple, on—the-go food. It has arguably become a stylish and aspirational part of one’s daily diet. Consider, for example, how some television companies recently made several series of programmes encouraging unnecessary overeating, in which the host devours dish after dish of unhealthy, fatty meals until they are full - and then far, far beyond. While such glamorisation exists, it is difficult to see how our collective march towards a global obesity crisis can ever be halted.
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