Should We Fast from Fast Food?

It’s fast, it’s cheap and it tastes good. Oh the convenience of fast food. But, I do not call it convenient when my young children are adamantly screaming that they want Burger King, Wendy’s or McDonald's when I pick them up from school. I also do not think it is convenient when you or your loved one is diagnosed with high blood pressure or a carotid artery. The term convenient becomes confusing when we do a cost-benefit analysis and compare today’s short cuts to tomorrow’s consequences.     

With a growing segment of Americans who are obese, riddled with heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes, it is my opinion that fast food restaurants should not be allowed to advertise on television. People know they need to eat and have the right to choose what kinds of food they want to put into their bodies. With fast food companies advertising unhealthy food that is high in sodium and trans fatty acid, the American public is bombarded with images and messages that this should be their diet of choice. The issue becomes larger and more devastating when these advertisements are directed towards youth, with fun toys, cartoon characters, low prices, appealing colors and easily identifiable images.

Of course this argument can be made about many things that are advertised in the media: toys, clothing, medicine, just to name a few, but I think a red flag should go up when the product in question is literally killing people. Eating is a daily ritual and food is how we accomplish it. Fast food, however, increases the risk of eczema, asthma and stuffy nose in children. Youths consuming fast food consume more calories than those who eat at home. Childhood obesity, which is linked to many chronic illnesses, including type 1 diabetes, continues to increase in the United States. We have to do something about this. In my opinion, negative advertisements that affect the food choice in America should be banned from all media sources. In the meantime, people should understand the nutritional values of fast food items and avoid buying those that harm our health.

It is a constant battle for me to feed myself and my family, especially my son who was diagnosed with diabetes, healthy and nutritional meals at an affordable price. I do not need or appreciate the battle made more difficult by the barrage of advertisements shouting at us to buy value meals, dollar menu items or 4 for $4 deals that are riddled with sodium, hydrogenated oil, and calories that we do not want or need in our systems.