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byRuss1962

249 followers

5 years ago

FAST FOOD INDUSTRY ?

Just the sound of that phrase, Fast Food Industry, should be enough to turn us off the idea of actually eating the stuff, I feel quite sure that if we all stopped and thought about it, we would soon realize that what's actually being said here is "fast profit industry" and of course there's also the fact that it's called an industry ! like it's an industrialized fast profit production line, yuck, enough to make you want to vomit, well, you would think so, but in fact the "fast profit industry" now has an estimated annual global revenue of $570 billion.

So the question has to be, why has this fast profit muck, become so incredibly popular, I suppose a lot of people would say it's the clever way the stuff is advertised and yes, while I would say that is definitely true, we also have to take into consideration the fact that fast food outlets are literally all over the place, they really are everywhere, we are in fact being bombarded with it. Something that must be taken into account is how appetizing they make it look, when you're hungry or in a hurry and you see the often photo-shopped images of mouth watering burgers, fried chicken, pizza's etc, the temptation is quite often just too much for you.

Is This Stuff Really so Unhealthy ?

Just how unhealthy is this fast food, well the obvious thing to do is look at what's in it. Here is a list of the most common ingredients used in the production of fast food :-

Fructose, (HFCS) High fructose, corn syrup, is used in artificial sweeteners, it is more concentrated and contains more calories than ordinary cane sugar, it boosts fat storing hormones and tricks the brain into making us over eat.

Sodium/potassium benzoate, are preservatives and are also a carcinogen, which can cause serious thyroid damage.

Artificial colours, These are, of course chemicals, chemicals that have been linked with various types of cancer.

Butylated hydroxyanisole, Is another chemical preservative, it can mess up the bodies natural hormonal balance.

Sodium nitrates, Yet another chemical preservative, used to preserve meat, they may cause metabolic problems which can lead to diabetes, sodium nitrate has been linked to colon cancer.

Monosodium glutamate, Is a flavour enhancer which has been linked with mental health problems.

Synthetic trans fats, These synthetic fats have been linked to diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

There are many more unhealthy ingredients used in the processing of fast foods, yet the Government seem very reluctant to implement health warnings on fast, junk food.

Should the Fast Food Industry be Regulated in the Same Way as Tobacco and Alcohol ?

International health groups are now claiming that obesity is a greater global health risk than tobacco and alcohol, and are calling for much stricter rules, which may include pictures on food labels, similar to those on cigarette packets. Health groups are said to be calling for new rules to include the reduction of salt, saturated fat and sugar in food.

In my opinion, these calls don't go far enough, how about putting restrictions of the use of chemical colouring and preservatives in the food, chemicals that are used solely for the purpose of making more profit for the fast food industry, how about stricter rules on the advertising of these unhealthy foods, particularly when these advertisements are aimed at young impressionable children.

World Obesity Federation.

A spokesman for the World Obesity Federation said, "If obesity was an infectious disease, we would have seen billions of dollars being invested in bringing it under control".

"But because obesity is largely caused by the over consumption of fatty and sugary foods, we have seen policy-makers unwilling to take on the corporate interests who promote these foods."

He said governments needed to take "collective action".

Terry Jones, director of communications at the Food and Drink Federation, said "UK food and drink manufacturers were "already" supporting improvements to public health through many of the measures outlined in the recommendations.

He said: "The industry's participation in the UK government's public health responsibility deal sees manufacturers working in partnership with government, health organisations, NGOs and other stakeholders."

Mr Jones said it was acting to reduce salt, saturated fat and calories in products, "provide clear nutritional labeling and to promote healthier diets and more physical activity".

Wishing you all a Healthy, Wealthy and Happy Future.

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