Fast Food: An Introduction
Fast Food is a part of life for many Americans (Jahns, 439-498), Nicklas, 599-608, Nielsen, 107-113). For the majority of people in America who have ample resources, there is no shortage of food or opportunities to consume it. Snacks are commonly offered at social gatherings, business functions, sports events, and school functions. It is not strange for snacks at these events to consist of sweet or salty high-fat foods such as cookies, brownies, candy, chips, and soft drinks. Even though enjoying these foods occasionally is all right, too much consumption can replace nutrient-dense foods, reduce the nutritional adequacy of the diet, and contribute to too much weight gain and associated health risks. Healthy snacking is suitable for many people, but regular consumption of high-calorie, low nutrient-dense foods can have negative health results. According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association teens tends to overeat when served fast food. However, lean teenagers tend to compensate for over-consumption by eating less at other meals, whereas individuals who are overweight do not cut back, the study says.
Consumption of fast food has increased rapidly since the 1970s among adolescents from all socioeconomic and racial and ethnic groups across the United States.
Dr. Cara B. Ebbeling, a nutrition expert from Children's Hospital in Boston says that an estimated 75 percent of young people eat fast food one or more times per week. The increase in fast food consumption parallels the increasing obesity epidemic. She adds that characteristics of fast food previously linked to excess energy intake or adiposity [fat] include enormous portion size, high energy density, deliciousness, excessive amounts of refined starch and added sugars, high fat content, and low levels of dietary fiber......
