By: Heidi Wagenbach

We all know that fast food isn’t great. Seeing more and more documentaries like 1,000-lb Sisters emerging over the last few years is a hint that people are suffering not only from some sort of mental/emotional trauma for them to let their body decay into such overwhelming obesity, but that the fast food issue in America should not be ignored. I can’t remember the last time I went into a McDonald’s, unless on a road trip and needing to use the restroom. Whenever I eat out, I lean more towards getting salads, veggie burgers, pasta, or something else that is hearty but has nutritional value, while avoiding the other joints with fried and processed food like the plague (heh, maybe those jokes should be avoided now…).

Below is a compilation of what companies actually do to make their food “crave-able” and in turn, what that means for your body and health.

An Addiction

There is research proving that junk food is like a drug, triggering your brain’s reward systems, and unleashing dopamine. Companies utilize what’s called the “bliss point,” or the “optimal concentration of sugar known to maximize… pleasure.” Undergoing this different sensory experience is due to the altered ingredient content. The foods taste the way they do thanks to multiple processes and mathematical/scientific equations nutritionists, scientists, and flavorists engineer to produce flavor extracts. They are then injected into the meals, making natural food less delicious if exposed to these foods more often.

(Think about it this way: if you eat super salty French fries, then compare that taste to say… broccoli, of course the fries are more appealing because you’re used to that flavor). 

The consumer wants to repeat the positive experience that caused this release, thus making the cravings for fast food more frequent and powerful. These companies also want to hit nostalgia; I mean, who doesn’t want to relive the awe of drinking a milkshake while playing on the indoor, colorful playgrounds?  

Further Proof

Scientists studied a group of rats that were forced to consume fast food over a period of time. Once regulated, it took the rodents 14 days to convert them back to enjoying their “normal” food again. Some rats chose to starve, while others went days without eating. 

Also, there have been many complaints that fast food joints make the items on their menu look better in promotions by manipulating lighting and effects (and not cramming the food into little portable to-go boxes). People take their own pictures of what they bought, and compare it to what’s seen in advertisements. To say the very least, the contrast of how these foods hold up to their counterparts is just sad. But companies want to make their products look good… even if the burgers, tacos, and sandwiches don’t embrace the whole slogan of “as seen on TV” at all.

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

So what happens to your body once you’ve eaten your burger and fries, and guzzled your soda? The food goes into your bloodstream within 15 minutes. Because of the refined carbs, your body can go through a more rapid digestion and break down the meal faster. Due to this, glucose and insulin levels rise, turning the meal into fat and not energy. Within 3 hours, hunger strikes again despite the fact you just ate nearly an entire day’s worth of calories. 

The After Effects

You’ll be stressed, panicky. Your body is attempting to restore your blood sugar to normal levels, therefore you’ll experience mood swings, and symptoms like headaches or nausea. Your arteries become impaired, slowing your blood flow and causing you to be tired with a 20% more likely risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Your body will digest the rest of the remaining chemicals slowly or not at all. Take for instance, the Big Mac, which needs 36 hours to leave your system entirely. You could become gassy or bloated and your body will react to the additives/fillers like an infection, triggering an inflammatory response and a more defensive immune system.

20 “Ew” Facts About Fast Food That Will Make You Think Twice Before Ordering Out

#1

Millennials spend about 45% of their budget’s food dollars on eating out.

#2

The American Heart Association recommends eating only 100-150 calories of added sugar a day (about 6-9 teaspoons), but a 12 oz can of soda already contains 8.

#3

The high level of refined carbohydrates can lead to acne.

#4

Loaded with trans fats, fast food leads to elevated cholesterol.

#5

People who order fast food indulge about an extra 200 calories a day, gain weight, and are at risk of developing diabetes, even if what they’re ordering is “healthy.” (For example, going to McDonald’s website, you can see their Premium Southwest Salad is 160 calories. Sounds good… until realizing the salad dressing is not included and that the tortilla chips contain goodies like dextrose and disodium inosinate. In unscientific terms… additives).

#6

Chicken nuggets are in fact chicken… but they contain more bone, fat, and tendons than actual meat. Just what I want to be eating.

#7

Fast food destroys tooth enamel and encourages cavities. Your bone density and muscle mass will also suffer. 

#8

There was a survey of 993 adults’ guesses about how much sodium they were consuming in a meal, and their estimates were 6 times lower than the actual amount. (1,292mg; equivalent to about half of your recommended sodium intake per day).

#9

Fast food can affect your fertility, the added ingredients changing how hormones act, resulting in birth defects.

#10

The number of fast food restaurants has doubled since 1970, correlating with the number of obese Americans.

#11

The short term effects of eating fast food include a change in your metabolism, a reduced ability for muscles to turn glucose into energy, poor digestion, and constipation. 

#12

People who consume fast food are 51% more likely to be depressed. 

#13

Half of Americans prefer to eat a fast food meal every single day. 

#14

In 2010, a study found that 48% of soda fountains at fast food joints contain coliform bacteria, commonly found in feces.

#15

A law firm in Alabama once sued Taco Bell for calling its taco filling “meat,” seeing that it’s more oats, seasoning, and fillers than anything else. The case was dropped after the restaurant changed their advertisements and fought the charges.

#16

Subway’s bread used to contain azodicarbonamide, a chemical that can be found in yoga mats. After a petition of thousands of signatures demanded they remove it from their food, they obliged.

#17

McDonald’s confirmed that there are parts from more than 100 cows in just one of their burgers. Yum.

#18

A New York City police officer, John Florio, bit into a Big Mac full of glass in 2005. The case was finally settled 9 years later for $437,000.

#19

There is a secret menu option at Burger King called the Suicide Burger, which includes 4 burgers covered in cheese, bacon, sauce, and comes to a total of 800 calories.

#20

Children who eat fast food 3 times a week are more likely to develop asthma. There has also been a link between kids eating fast food and a decline in their academic success.

The Bottom Line

Health experts advise that you should follow the 80:20 rule: eat healthy foods 80% of the time and indulge 20% of the time. This plan works for weight loss and helps boost mental health. But also consider what your lifestyle is like beforehand. It’s all about balance. Do you exercise? Do you smoke or overdo your consumption of alcohol? These factors contribute to your long term health so if you eat out once in a while, that’s fine, but be sure that it doesn’t become a regularity.

Sources:

(Video) If You Eat Fast Food, THIS Happens To Your Body

The Effects of Fast Food on the Body

This is your body on fast food

100 Crazy Fast Food Facts

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