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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Health Hazards of Fast Foods

Health Hazards of Fast Foods

Fast food is popular because of its convenience and availability. Drive-through restaurants like McDonald's and Burger King provide inexpensive venues for customers to obtain fast food. While the occasional trip to a fast food restaurant is little cause for concern, regular consumption of some fast food promotes serious health problems due to high levels of fat, sugar and cholesterol.

Heart Disease

    The overconsumption of fast food can contribute to heart disease.
    The overconsumption of fast food can contribute to heart disease.

    Animal fats, which are normally found in fast food, contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries, resulting in restricted blood flow to the heart. The overconsumption of fast food also causes an increase in LDL or "bad cholesterol." Arteries have less elasticity as the "bad cholesterol" develops, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood throughout the body.

Liver Damage

    Fat can accumulate around the liver, causing liver damage.
    Fat can accumulate around the liver, causing liver damage.

    Fast food is difficult for the liver to break down. If fat begins surrounding the liver, the organ will soon become inflamed, promoting scarring and the deterioration and resulting in permanent damage.

Obesity

    Large fast food portions contribute to obesity.
    Large fast food portions contribute to obesity.

    People may be drawn to advertisements featuring large amounts of fast food for a low price, possibly encouraging regular consumption. Regular consumption of fast food can lead to obesity because of the high fat and sugar contents of most fast foods. Complications of obesity, such as heart disease and diabetes, will often surface during middle age.

Type 2 Diabetes

    Excessive sugar from fast food can contribute to diabetes.
    Excessive sugar from fast food can contribute to diabetes.

    People consuming fast food on a routine basis may develop insulin resistance, which prevents the pancreas from transforming sugars like carbohydrates into energy. Once insulin resistance occurs, levels of blood sugar increase, leading to dangerous complications and Type 2 diabetes.

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