Diet Negatives: Foods that make you worse.

The foods you eat play a powerful role in life; food not only sustains you but also determines how you live. Despite this, most people do not take this as seriously as they should, until they contract a diet-related illness. Evidence of this can be seen in the massive success of the fast food industry. Fast food is packed with saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and high calories. Need proof? Here is a screenshot of the nutrition facts for a Big Mac with large fries.

Big Mac:

Large fries:

According to Elton N. Pelegrino:

• Food high in sodium can lead to increased headaches and migraines.
• Food high in carbs can trigger outbreaks of acne.
• Eating excessive amounts of fast food may increase your risk of depression.
• The carbs and sugar in fast foods can lead to dental cavities.
• Fried foods are filled with trans fats which raise LDL cholesterol levels.
• Fast food is filled with empty carbohydrates, which can lead to increased blood sugar and insulin resistance.
• Increased sodium levels can lead to your body retaining excessive water, leading to bloating.
• Extra calories can turn into excess pounds. Without exercise to counteract the increase in calories, obesity or unintentional weight gain may become a reality

Pelegrino, Elton N. The Hidden Dangers of Fast-Food. 27 Oct. 2021

Fast food literally diminishes your ability to properly process sugar, which can lead to life changing diseases like diabetes. Places like Mcdonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell slowly reduce your quality of life and longevity the more you consume their product. How funny is that, fast food makes you die faster.

The CDC conducted a survey and found that one-third of Americans eat fast food on any given day, often more than twice a week. Many Americans know it is not good for them, yet they still consume it three days a week. To understand why, let's focus on the aspects that make fast food attractive.

Firstly, fast food is easily accessible—so accessible, in fact, that you probably live only a couple of miles from a fast food establishment. Alongside its accessibility, it only requires you to pay and wait, and it is usually faster and easier than cooking a whole meal. Lastly, fast food stimulates your dopamine receptors with a rush of sugar and trans fats, leaving your brain craving for more and taking advantage of your mind's reward system. With that in mind, it's easy to see why it has such a strong pull on Americans; it was designed to keep you coming back.

Now that you understand how it can affect your mind and body, let's examine just how significantly it impacts your wallet. Let's consider a scenario where you're not a big spender. For instance, you go to McDonald's and opt for their smallest meal, the Hamburger Happy Meal. If you buy three Hamburger Happy Meals every week for a year, you will have spent approximately $575 for yourself alone. That might not seem too bad.

However, if you prefer larger meals, such as the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal, and you buy this meal three times a week for a year, then congratulations! You will have spent a whopping $2,028 at McDonald's. Now, why waste $2,028 a year on food that actually worsens both your body and mind? When viewed in these terms, the decision to consume fast food appears irrational and costly.

In conclusion, if you're unconcerned about the well-being of your brain or body, this issue might not hold much significance for you. You could rationalize it by citing the decent protein content or perhaps by claiming you're dirty bulking, making your indulgence seem valid. However, if you've even briefly considered valuing your mind and body, consuming this type of junk food would be a self-deceptive notion. It might seem extreme, but consider this: if you think "it's just every now and then," would you use the same justification for something like crack? After all, both have similar long-term side effects.

And if you're using fast food as a reward, take a moment to reflect: how is this truly rewarding? How illogical is it to reward yourself with something that harms you? The next time you're about to eat fast food, pause and ask yourself, is this truly worth the cost?