Impact of Fast Food Consumption on Children’s Growth and Health

 

Fast food consumption:

Fast food refers to food which will be served able to eat fast. Fast food and food are often used interchangeably. Energy dense food with high sugar/fat/salt content and low nutrient value in terms of protein, fiber, vitamin and mineral content is termed food.

Many of our youngsters are keen on such ready made food. Nowadays food is becoming fashion and eating fast foods and junk foods is becoming a normal thing for children as well as adults. It’s like kind of fashion in today’s era considering fast food as classy style food.

Nuclear families, working mother, socioeconomic status and shut proximity of nutriment shop, food test and quick service within the shop are important contributing factors of nutriment consumption. Family schedules get hectic fast, and busy days may mean nutriment.

Most of the people prefer fast food consumption because it is ready made and quick food as it is just buy and eat type of food. Fast foods and junk foods are often used interchangeably.

Most junk foods are fast foods as they're prepared and served fast. But not all fast foods are junk foods, especially once they're prepared with nutritious contents. Fast food culture is an emerging trend among children nowadays.

What is the impact of fast food on child health?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that on the brink of 34 percent of youngsters and adolescents ages 2 to 19 eat nutriment a day, but many of us are unaware of its long-term effects on children.

Childhood obesity

Fast food that's high in calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar may be a major a part of this epidemic. The high-starch content in nutriment results in overeating, albeit an individual isn’t hungry.

Excessive weight gain in children can lead to chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, along with adult obesity and poor eating habits.

Poor school performance

Even moderate consumption of fast food affects a child’s academic performance. Foods high in sugar create a spike in blood glucose, followed by fatigue because the level drops. This energy depletion makes it difficult for youngsters to concentrate for extended periods of your time.

Depression

While a diet of fruits and vegetables increases energy and serotonin-induced happy moods, fast foods are commonly barren of essential vitamins and minerals. For an overweight child, depression could also be worsened by low self-esteem or poor body image.

Chronic conditions

A survey of 500,000 kids from 31 countries ages 6 to 7 and 13 to 14 showed kids who ate nutriment 3 times every week or more had increased risk of asthma, eczema and rhinitis (inflamed, stuffy nose).

More importantly, further research confirmed that three or more servings of fruit daily reduced the severity of symptoms for all three conditions.

If you select nutriment, you continue to can choose more nutritional items:

• Try switching out french-fried potatoes for a salad.

• Grilled chicken is a good alternative to chicken nuggets.

• Skip the soda and pick water or low fat milk.

• Thought it'd appear to be a deal, larger options mean more calories. Keep portions small and stick to the kid’s menu.

• take care of condiments — “special sauce” and mayonnaise add calories from fat and sugar.

Constipation

An overdose of calories, fats, sugars, and other carbohydrates in repeated meals changes the food desires of the kid and makes it less likely that the kid will eat fibers, fruits, milk, and vegetables. This can result in greater chances of constipation.

Less Energy

Fast food can inhibit participation in extracurricular activities because it doesn’t provide adequate nutrients for physical activity. Lack of physical activity not only keeps children out of peer groups but also impairs physical and mental health.

Sleep Disturbances

Pop and cola drinks often contain caffeine which may make bedtime an ordeal by postponing normal sleep-wake cycles.

Effects of Excess Fast Food Consumption:

Fast food consumption is certainly harmful to child health. Children who eat nutriment have higher intake of energy, fat, saturated fat, sodium, carbonated beverage, and lower intake of vitamins A and C, milk, fruits and vegetables than those who do not take fast food.

Diet with high sugar, salt, saturated fat and calorie is liable for disabilities like obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and impaired glucose tolerance.

Fast food could also be related to poor hygiene during preparation, storage and handling. It invites microbiological contamination and is a risk factor of heart diseases even.

Calcium and magnesium depleted nutriment are liable for osteoporosis. Diets rich in free sugars may lead to increased risk of dental caries also.

How is fast food harmful for the body?

Eating fast food leads to many problems in the body and effects many parts of our body. Following are the parts of body which gets affected by fast food:

Effect on the digestive and cardiovascular systems

Most nutriment, including drinks and sides, are loaded with carbohydrates with little to no fiber. When your gastrointestinal system breaks down these foods, the carbs are released as glucose (sugar) into your bloodstream. As a result, your blood sugar increases.

Your pancreas responds to the surge in glucose by releasing insulin. Insulin transports sugar throughout your body to cells that require it for energy. As your body uses or stores the sugar, your blood glucose returns to normal.

This blood glucose process is very regulated by your body, and as long as you’re healthy, your organs can properly handle these sugar spikes. But frequently eating high amounts of carbs can cause repeated spikes in your blood glucose.

Over time, these insulin spikes may cause your body’s normal insulin response to falter. This increases your risk for insulin resistance, type diabetes and weight gain.

Sugar and fat

Many fast-food meals have added sugar. Not only does that mean extra calories, but also little nutrition. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests only eating 100 to 150 calories of added sugar per day. That’s about six to nine teaspoons.

Many fast-food drinks alone hold overflow 12 ounces. A 12-ounce can of soda contains 8 teaspoons of sugar. That equals 140 calories, 39 grams of sugar, and zip else.

Tran’s fat is manufactured fat created during food processing. It’s commonly found in:

• fried pies

• Pastries

• Pizza dough

• Crackers

• Cookies

No amount of Tran’s fat is nice or healthy. Eating foods that contain it can increase your LDL (bad cholesterol), lower your HDL (good cholesterol), and increase your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart condition.

Restaurants may also compound the calorie-counting issue. In one study, people eating at restaurants they associated as “healthy” still underestimated the amount of calories in their meal by 20 percent.

Effect on the respiratory system

Excess calories from fast-food meals can cause weight gain. This may lead toward obesity. Obesity increases your risk for respiratory problems, including asthma and shortness of breath.

The extra pounds can put pressure on your heart and lungs and symptoms may show up even with little exertion. You may notice difficulty breathing when you’re walking, climbing stairs, or exercising.

For children, the danger of respiratory problems is particularly clear. One study found that children who eat nutriment a minimum of 3 times every week are more likely to develop asthma.

Effect on the central nervous system

Fast food may satisfy hunger within the short term, but long-term results are less positive. People who eat nutriment and processed pastries are 51 percent more likely to develop depression than people that don’t eat those foods or eat only a few of them.

Effect on the reproductive system

The ingredients in food and nutriment may have an impression on your fertility. One study found that processed food contains phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals which will interrupt how hormones act in your body.

Exposure to high levels of those chemicals could lead on to reproductive issues, including birth defects.

Effect on the integumentary system (skin, hair, nails)

The foods you eat may impact your skin’s appearance, but it'd not be the foods you think. In the past, chocolate and greasy foods like pizza have taken the blame for acne breakouts, but consistent with the Mayo Clinic, its carbohydrates.

Carb-rich foods cause blood glucose spikes and these sudden jumps in blood glucose levels may trigger acne. Discover foods that help fight acne.

Children and adolescents who eat nutriment a minimum of 3 times every week also are more likely to develop eczema, consistent with one study. Eczema may be a skin condition that causes irritated patches of inflamed, itchy skin.

Effect on the skeletal system (bones)

Carbs and sugar in nutriment and processed food can increase acids in your mouth. These acids can break down tooth enamel. As enamel disappears, bacteria can take hold, and cavities may develop.

Obesity also can cause complications with bone density and muscle mass. People who are obese have a greater risk for falling and breaking bones. It’s important to stay exercising to create muscles, which support your bones, and maintain a healthy diet to attenuate bone loss.

Negative Aspects of Fast Food:

Regular fast food intake leads to long-term health problems such as obesity, accompanying emotional and self-esteem problems, and chronic illnesses in later life. A single nutriment meal could add 160 and 310 extra kilo calories to the daily caloric intake for teenagers and younger children, respectively.

Lack of vitamins like A and C, and minerals like magnesium and calcium, encourage the event of deficiency diseases and osteoporosis, also as cavity thanks to higher sugar intake.

The presence of hazardous coloring agents and/or unhealthy Tran’s fats in many nutriment items, and issues with food preparation safety, often complicate the difficulty further.

Conclusion:

Fast food intake definitely needs to be strictly controlled in children as it does no good and may do much harm. Surprisingly, an easy increase in fruit intake can improve the mood and reduce the severity of atopic diseases.

Stopping the marketing of junk foods directed at children with attractive characters and gifts could also be a method to assist children eats better.

 

Written by – Umme Amara Shaikh