Fast Food Health Risks

Today, the majority of people in most of the developed world get more than half their calories from processed, fast, and fake foods. The fast food health risks are shocking. And it’s only getting worse.

The global fast food market is growing. And the demand for packaged foods is predicted to increase as well.

Examples of fast foods include:

French fries
Bagels
Croissants
Energy bars
Soda
Frozen entrees
Deli meats and cheeses
Cookies, cakes, and candy
Products made with white flour
Processed snack foods

Fast food health risks you need to know about

You may be aware that fast and processed foods can harm your physical health, leading to diabetes and obesity, as well as premature cardiac death, cancer, strokes, and more.

But these foods are also altering your brain and your mental health – fueling depression, mental illness, and other issues.

People who eat fast foods are 51% more likely to develop depression compared to those who eat little or no fast food. And this finding was for people who only consumed two servings of fast food a week.

Adolescence Health found that eating just one serving of French fries per week during adolescence increased women’s breast cancer risk later in life by 27%.

Eating fast food one time per week increased the risk of dying from coronary heart disease by 20% — a risk that grew to 50% for people eating fast food two or three times per week.

Other documented impacts from these foods include:

Brain fog
Mood swings
Anxiety
Violence and aggression
And for kids who eat fast food and processed foods, the situation may be even worse.

Why do people eat junk foods despite the fast food health risks?

Fast food is appealing — it’s cheap, convenient, tasty, and in many circles, socially acceptable. But the health concerns are dramatic. So why do so many people continue to make choices they know are not in their long-term best interests?

Fast food and processed foods are being designed to alter our brains and drive food addiction.

The science of food addiction says these foods produce the same biochemical effects in the brain that are characteristic of substance abuse. Hundreds of millions of people have come to crave these unhealthy foods.

How can you take action?

“We need a revolution in information about our food, nutrition, and health, and it starts with you.”

Getting educated about the negative consequences of consuming junk foods can help you talk about the fast food health risks with other people in your life. And you can set an example by saying no to fast food foods – and saying yes to healthy alternatives.

Even if you’ve been eating an unhealthy diet for your whole life, it’s never too late to make a change – and to reap the benefits.