Fast Food and Obesity

Fast food and obesity is a controversial subject and has been the subject of a number of books and, of course, the film Super Size Me. It's a problem on both sides of the Atlantic and is also spreading to countries where obesity was previously unheard of, such as China.

The relationship between fast food and obesity government, who are introducing healthier food in schools. But is there really a connection between fast food and the growing number of overweight and obese adults and, more worryingly, children?

According to Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, US citizens spend more money each year on fast food than they do on Higher Education, computers or cars! I don't know if that's also true for the UK, but Britain now tops the table for obesity-related deaths in Europe. So, if we don't do something about it, we're in big trouble.

Why does fast food make you fat?

The ingredients of your fast food meal are obtained in ways which will make the end product as cheap as possible - even a few pennies difference in price is crucial for the success of the companies which manufacture fast food.

And because it is so cheap, fast food outlets can afford to give you a supersized portion for very little more than a normal portion. Since most of us can't resist a bargain, this tactic is very effective.

The fast food restaurants ensure that their food tastes the same every time you buy it, whichever part of the world you find yourself in. To make sure this happens - and that the raw materials are the cheapest on the market - farming, processing and packing are all carried out in ways which reduce cost, and which also diminishe quality.

As packing became automated, the need for skilled labour was eliminated and immigrant workers are now employed, at low wages, to pack meat. Little attention is paid to hygiene and bacteria causing food poisoning can easily go undetected.

In addition, fast food is high in fat, high in refined carbohydrates and high in sugar. And it is also low in anything of nutritional value. In addition, refined carbohydrates make you hungry, leading to that extra portion of fries or the extra large burger.

There is no quick fix to the problems related to junk food, but a first step would be to educate ourselves and our children so that we develop healthy eating habits

Source: Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser, published by Harper Collins in the US and Penguin in the UK. To check out this book go to:

Back to top of Fast Food and Obesity