Fast food and obesity: facts and articles that you should know

There has been in fact an exponential rise of obese individuals, especially in many developed nations like United Kingdom and United States. And now, obesity is a global health problem in many nations.

Obesity can be linked to different long-term health conditions, illness and premature death including diabetes, stroke, heart disease, gall bladder disease, arthritis, joint disorders, some cancers and fatty liver. In this article on VKool site, we are going to show you an overview about fast food and obesity: facts and articles. Keep reading to have a full understanding about their connections for being healthy and control your weight effectively!

7 Fast Food And Obesity: Facts And Articles

1. Obesity & Calorie Intake

fast food and obesity

Many studies have indicated that the rise of obesity in the world population might be attributed to the increase in high-calorie food intake, along with the lack of physical activity.

According to results from researched conducted by the National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey, the quantity and energy density of foods that were consumed in the U.S.A from 1976 – 1980 and 1999 – 2002 increased.

Studies have also shown that each capita calorie intake in the US increased by over 300 kilocalories among the entire American population from 1985 – 2002 and the numbers just have risen after 1 decade.

Read on: Bodyweight Exercise Revolution

2. Food Choices & Energy Imbalance

fast food and obesity

It is said that food choices of people depend on some factors including environment, culture, behavior and socioeconomic influences.

In fact, the choices of foods can affect your energy intake and interact with the metabolic and genetic factors, and this finally can determine your body weight.

Excessive weight or obesity can results from the imbalance between amounts of energy you consume, through drinking and eating, plus amounts of energy that is spent on physical and metabolism activity. The energy in children may be also spent on parts through growth.

Read on: How to set weight loss goals and stick to them

3. Fast Foods & Body Mass Index

Fast Foods & Body Mass Index

The fact is that researchers discover the connection between hypertension and obesity. Besides, lack of sleep or sleep-associated breathing troubles may increase the risk of obesity. Another study conducted by researcher in the McMaster University has shown that hormone can also contribute to diabetes and obesity.

First, be aware that fast foods can fall into different categories such as:

  • Fast foods high in calories
  • Fast foods high in fat
  • Fast foods high in trans and saturated fat
  • Fast foods high in sugar
  • Fast foods high in only carbohydrates
  • Fast foods high in salt or sodium

Among these types of fast foods, these high in calories contribute to higher risk of obesity.

Moreover, fast food is often linked to higher body mass index, weight gain and unsuccessful weight-loss maintenance.

Also, fast foods may make you reduce your diet quality, thereby providing unhealthy choices, particularly in children and adolescents.

According to the latest report, in 2024, fast-food consumption costs reached nearly $164.8 billion and in 2024 this was about a 3% rise.

Read on: Best spices for weight loss and their benefits for health

4. Fast Food & Childhood Obesity

fast food and obesity

When it comes to the connection between fast food and obesity, obesity in children is rising. Fast foods can affect young children and this is worse than that in adults. This is because many fast foods are focused towards children and young people. Also, there are sustained patterns of eating out and eating fast foods.

Children with their energy imbalance intake of 2% is reported to result in the increase of obesity and overweight risk over time.

The 2% of energy imbalance means an excess of about 30 kcal a day. That corresponds to 2/3 of 1 chocolate cookie, 1/4 of 1 can of soda and fewer than 2 French fries.

Eating out in restaurants or food stores is another big contributor to obesity. Scientific studies show that the content of calories of “out-of-home” meals that people consumed was about 55% higher than the calorie contents of “in-home” meals.

In the USA, the numbers of fast food restaurants doubled that equate to approximately 300,000 establishments since 1970. Coincidentally, about 33.8% of American population was affected by excessive weight and 19% of adolescents and children were also affected.

Read on: 18 best cardio exercises for weight loss: easy & effective

5. Fast Food Menu Items And Fat & Calorie Information

fast food and obesity

Let’s take a look at a list of typical fast food menu items with more details about their fat and calorie information for your proper consumption and weight control.

  • McDonalds Big Mac: 29 grams of fat and 540 calories
  • Wendy’s Bacon Deluxe Double: 52 grams of fat and 880 calories
  • Burger King Whopper: 40 grams of fat and 670 calories
  • Taco Bell Nachos Bell Grande: 24 grams of fat and 770 calories
  • McDonalds Medium fries: 19 grams of fat and 380 calories
  • Popeye’s Regular cole slaw: 23 grams of fat and 260 calories
  • Dairy Queen Onion rings: 16 grams of fat and 360 calories
  • Wendy’s Large Frosty: 8 grams of fats and 540 calories
  • Dunkin Donuts Iced Carmel Latte: 12 grams of fat and 450 calories
  • McDonalds large sweet tea: 0 gram of fat and 280 calories

Read on: 22 best weight loss tips for men and women to stay on track

6. The Link Of Environment & Obesity

fast food and obesity

“Let’s fast forward to work!” When it comes to the link between fast food and obesity, to eat fast sometimes means to work more productively. Unfortunately, with this eating style or habit, you are going to gain extra weight while having some health conditions related to fast food.

Today, it’s easy to find a fast food store or restaurant every time and eat some in just 10 or 30 minutes. You can choose different fast food items such as crunchy tacos greasy burgers, or any sugary drink at the most intersections. Also, to eat fast food, it’s not necessary for you to plan a meal ahead as you have a lot of foods at your fingertips!

Moreover, these quick foods are cheap that appeal to many people in different ages. For instance, you can order dollar sodas, dollar cheeseburgers and supersize fast food items for pennies.

Most officers are overcommitted and overscheduled. They run from this activity to that activity and don’t make time to prepare meals. It’s just easy to grab some fast food on the way going home from work or vice versa, or treat their kids to a milkshake after busy hours.

Unfortunately, many people either don’t know or try to forget the consequences of commercial fast food. They are not aware how extra fat fast foods can cause their cardiovascular diseases. They don’t realize that supersized fries can be the reason their pants get tight. They also forget that the recommendation to consume a low sodium diet, thus their blood pressure levels rises.

In short, obesity may be caused the combination of the environment you live and fast food. The key to prevent obesity is to planning a diet and follow a physical routine. Plus, cut down on amounts of fast foods and have more “in-home” meals. If you don’t have time to cook meals in advance, follow these quick healthy eating options when it comes to the link between fast food and obesity:

  • Eating sandwiches made of whole grain bread and low-fat yogurt
  • Eating low-fat refried beans with a whole grain tortilla and fruit
  • Eating lettuce with grilled chicken

Read on: Professional weight management recipes – top 24 food ideas

7. What & How To Eat Healthy In Fast Food Restaurants

fast food and obesity

When it comes to the connection between fast food and obesity, be aware that there are still many healthy eating options for you in fast food restaurants.
When eating out, follow some tips below:

  • Substitute the fries
    Skip fried. Instead, opt for some salad, yogurt and fruit.
  • Leave off high-calorie sauces
    High-calorie and mayo and sauces may add extra calories to your sandwich. So, you can make it plain or add salsa, mustard or low-calorie dressing.
  • Choose calorie-free drinks
    Skip sweet drinks and sodas. Go for plain water or sugar-free beverages like light lemonade or unsweetened tea.
  • Limit portions
    Portions in restaurants are often huge. To control your weight, cut a sandwich into 2 and save 1 for your next meal.
  • Get it grilled
    Try a fried chicken sandwich versus a grilled chicken. Instead of eating chicken nuggets, why don’t you try a hamburger?

Bottom line:

Hope that after reading this article of fast food and obesity facts and articles, you could get useful knowledge to control your weight and promote your health without obesity. To comment on the writing, leave it at the end of the post! Share the writing to other people if you like it! Thanks for reading and see you in the next post!

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