Skylar Maurice, Staff Writer 

Most people in the U.S. have heard of, been around or eaten fast food. Fast food can be defined as anything that is made prior to purchase and can be eaten quickly. This also includes things that are in a wrapper or come out of a box. Eating fast food can have effects such as altering a person’s physical health, a person’s mental health and causing people to consume ingredients that are low quality. People can also choose other options instead of gravitating toward fast food consumption.

According to Food Revolution, a Circulation study showed that people’s coronary heart disease death risk increased by 20% after the consumption of fast food. The study had another finding related to diabetes as well. It found that people’s type 2 diabetes risk increased after consuming fast food twice a week by 27%.

A person’s mental health can be affected by fast food consumption as well. A study was done by the Public Health Journal where an increase in the likelihood of depression by 51% was found. This increase was seen in participants that ate fast food twice a week. 

People that consume fast food are not exposed to many foods that are typically considered healthy. According to Medical News Today, ingredients that are not usually found in fast food include fruits and vegetables. The constant eating of fast food creates a difficulty to meet the daily intake that is recommended for vegetables, fruits and fiber. 

Consuming fast food can lead to an increase in a person’s blood sugar. Fast food is something that swiftly breaks down, leading to a quick spike. This is due to the sugar that is added to fast food and the carbohydrates that are refined. An abnormal surge of insulin occurs as a result, causing blood sugar to drop. This is something that can make people feel fatigued. Insulin is what furthers hunger during a brief time period.

An option people can choose instead of fast food consumption is meal planning. Meal planning is something that can cause people to be more inclined to finish food they have made because it is already prepared for them. According to One Percent Better, a person would have to eat the food they have prepared to avoid waste. 

In addition, drinking water can be a way the body can signal to a person that they are hungry, however the person is most likely just thirsty. A person may notice that they are not as hungry after drinking water.