Fast Food and Your Health

Updated: 2/6/2020

Fast food. We all have a love/hate relationship with it. We love how easy, convenient and good it is, but it has one blatant flaw: it’s not healthy. In fact, eating fast food can have severe negative effects on cholesterol, heart health and blood pressure. But why exactly is fast food so bad for you? Are there ways to still eat fast food but avoid the health risk? Keep reading to find more about how fast food affects your health and how you can decrease the risk.

1. So What’s Wrong With Fast Food Anyway?

Most people are aware of the fact that fast food is unhealthy but are unclear as to exactly why it’s so bad for you. To help bring some clarity, the Canadian Journal of Cardiology did a study to show the exact effects of fast food on our health.

The study involved 28 non-smoking, healthy men between the ages of 18 and 50. It compared the effects of fast food to a Mediterranean-based meal. The men were first given the Mediterranean meal after fasting for 12 hours. The meal consisted of salmon, almonds, and vegetables baked in olive oil. After a week and another 12 hour fast, the men consumed a fast food sausage, egg and cheese muffin sandwich and three hash browns.

The function of the men’s blood vessels was measured after each 12 hour fast, and again every two and four hours after the meal. The results showed that the men’s arteries were 24% less dilated after consuming the fast food meal than when they were fasting. This means that the likelihood of blocked blood flow in the arteries greatly increased after eating just one fast food meal.

Take a look at this infographic from healthline.com on the toll fast food can take on the body.

Additionally, there are three main reasons why fast food is so unhealthy:

1. The calories
2. The sodium
3. The fat

The Calories

The average person should consume about 2000 calories a day, eating about 400-600 per meal plus a few healthy snacks in between meals. Fast food contains a lot more calories than a normal meal. One fast food meal typically contains about half of the recommended daily calories. For example, a McDonald’s Big Mac has 550 calories. Add to that a small French fry for 230 calories, and a medium Coke for 210 calories, and that one meal consists of almost 1000 calories. Because it has so many extra calories, you’ll want to eat fast food sparingly and in moderation to minimize health risks.

The Sodium

While sodium is essential to living, too much sodium can have negative effects on health such as high blood pressure, obesity and osteoporosis. The recommended daily intake of sodium is 1200-1500mg, but many fast food items nearly contain those amounts by themselves. The Big Mac contains 970mg of sodium and a small fry contains 160, nearly adding up to the entire daily recommended amount of sodium in just one meal.

The Fat

Some fat is essential for good health. However, there are two types of fat – saturated fat and a type of unsaturated fat called trans fat – highly present in fast food that have negative effects if too much is consumed.  Both types of fat can lead to increased cholesterol levels in the blood. High cholesterol can contribute to problems like heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease.

2. Choosing Healthier Fast Food

While most fast food is unhealthy, many restaurants have added some alternatives to their menu to promote a healthier lifestyle. For example, some places now offer fruit cups instead of French fries or milk instead of soda. Even if there are limited options for healthy choices, there are still some measures you can take to help make your meal less of a health risk.

1. Read the descriptions of the food item before ordering. If the description says something is deep-fried, batter-dipped, breaded or covered in sauce, it’s probably not the healthiest option available. Try something grilled, something lean or something with vegetables instead.
2. Leave off extra condiments or other “dressings.” Fast food restaurants often add special sauces to their food to enhance flavor. However, these sauces are usually high in calories and packed with fat. Ask for sauce to be left off or on the side so you can control the quantity.
3. Drink water. Soda is very high in calories, and the sizes of beverages at  fast food chains tend to be much larger than what you would normally drink. Opt for water instead of soda, but if you do get soda, go for a smaller size to avoid drinking more than you need.
4. Limit yourself. Try to avoid fast food whenever possible. Say no to up-sizing and stop eating once you’re full. Also try to avoid restaurants with buffets, as you will be tempted to keep going back for more.

The Healthiest Fast Food Chains

Though many fast food chains should be frequented in moderation, some are healthier than others. In March 2009, Health Magazine released a list of what they believe to be the healthiest fast food chains:

1. Panera Bread
2. Jason’s Deli
3. Au Bon Pain
4. Noodles and Company
5. Corner Bakery Café

Surprisingly, even McDonald’s made the top 10 because it offers several healthier choices like grilled chicken or fruit instead of fries. This just goes to show that any fast food can be made healthier depending on your choices.

While fast food can be detrimental to health, it doesn’t need to be avoided completely. As long as it’s eaten in moderation and your lifestyle is otherwise healthy, fast food will have minimal effects on your health. To learn more about how fast food may be affecting your well-being, talk to your doctor.

What’s your favorite healthy fast-food choice? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!