It has been proved that replacing a homemade meal with fast food has had a huge effect on Americans’ health. It does not take a scientist to figure out that fast food is not a good choice. Basically, fast food is high in calories, salt, sodium, and fat. This can cause weight gain and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and that is just naming a few. A survey of how often Americans ate fast food in the last 60 days states that 25% of Americans have eaten fast food everyday and it is only rising (Ludwig). If we do not act soon about this, the numbers can only get worse.
Fast food has changed America as a whole but it affects their diet the most. Fast food contains double the amount of calories as home cooked meals do. A 2007 survey from Hara Marano’s journal, “The Far Reach Of Fast Food,” found that the average fast food lunch in New York totaled 827 calories. That is almost half of an average American’s daily calorie intake. With more and more fast food commercials advertising a new burger or a new sandwich, it makes it even more tempting to make a quick stop at a fast food restaurant. Students who have open campuses at schools or colleges over
Schell 5
the lunch period are pretty much obligated to go for fast food. They are short on time and need something fast and cheap. It may seem like a plus at first. Fast and cheap food, why not? Students are so short on time they tend to forget about what they are putting in their mouth.
Americans are spending $110 billion annually on fast food, as stated by Marcella and Greta’s article, “Avoid