Though we may like to suspend belief, headlines continue to shed light on some of the serious health dangers of fast food.
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Some of the recurring problems at franchises such as McDonalds, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, and Burger King were rodent droppings, insects, food borne illnesses, debris and grime on counters and in prep areas, and poor employee sanitation. Given that about 25% of Americans eat fast food everyday, that’s millions of opportunities to be exposed to something nasty, or worse, a pathogen that could make you sick.
Diseases from fast food…
The high levels of calories, fat and sodium in most fast food can eventually lead to other health problems. For example, a study published in the “Journal of the American Heart Association” found that eating significant amounts of fast food can contribute to atherosclerosis, another term for clogged arteries, which can increase your risk of conditions like heart attack and stroke. Fast food can also contribute to an increased risk of arthritis, sleep apnea, some kinds of cancer, diabetes and liver disease.
Speaking of diabetes & obesity & high blood pressure…
All three of these diseases rank shockingly high in the Black community, and fast food is not helping the situation.
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For example, one popular fast food hamburger contains about 540 calories and 29 g of fat. It contains 10 g of saturated fat and 1.5 g of trans fat. The sodium content is 1,040 g. Eating meals like this force your body to pay a very high price in negative dietary elements, like calories, fat and sodium, for relatively small amounts of nutritional value, such as protein.
What about how that burger is packaged?
Many wrappers and packaging materials used to contain fast food are coated with perfluoroalkyls. Perfluoroalkyls are a type of chemical that can repel both oil and water, preventing grease from the food from soaking through the packaging. However, these chemicals are actually toxic to humans, and prolonged exposure can lead to increased risk of cancer, tumors, infertility and other health conditions.
