Do you want to find out about the disadvantages of fast food? Then you've come to the right place! I've always enjoyed the quick burgers and fries from fast food restaurants. After all, they taste reliably good, are quickly filling and save valuable time, as the dishes are prepared quickly and familiar establishments can be found on every corner. And now there are even vegetarian and vegan burgers! But in my opinion, that's about it for the advantages.
On closer inspection, food with simple preparation methods is usually unhealthy, expensive, unfair, unhygienic, unfriendly to animals, harmful to society and environmentally destructive.
In this article, I would like to give you my personal reasons for no longer eating classic fast food from McDonald's, Burger King and other well-known fast food outlets. Let's go!
A brief overview in advance:
- High calorie fatteners
- Too much fat, salt and sugar
- Poor food quality
- Lack of compliance with hygiene standards
- Lousy price-performance ratio
- High habituation and addiction factor
- Support for animal suffering
- Poor working conditions preprogrammed
- Saturation only lasts for a short time
- Too much packaging waste
- Speed destroys sociability
- Lack of appreciation for food
- Local restaurants are at risk
- Low trustworthiness
- Reduces the feeling of well-being
Notice: I am aware that some companies now also create wholesome and healthy fast food and that there are countless great recipes for such dishes. In this blog post, however, I would like to explain the disadvantages of typical fast food, which is offered by large companies in standardized processes with the highest possible profit margins.
1. high calorie fatteners
Classic fast food is extremely high in calories, but contains very few vitamins, minerals and fiber. Most products are deep-fried in fat. As a result, a high, regular consumption of fast food inevitably leads to health problems such as Obesity and also favors others, nutrition-related diseases. For example, the risk of diabetes, heart attacks and strokes increases. That alone is a pretty good reason to eat less or no fast food, don't you think?
Tip: How you Prevent heart disease I will explain how to do this in another, more detailed article.
2. too much fat, salt and sugar
Why are prepared burgers, schnitzel, currywurst and chips from fast food outlets so unhealthy? Firstly, because they are extremely greasy - and the fatty acids are almost exclusively harmful to health. Trans fatty acids are involved. They increase the risk of heart disease and occur when oil (e.g. in a deep fryer) is heated repeatedly or over a long period of time.
But meals at fast-food establishments are usually also extremely high in salt and sugar. The Salt stimulates the appetite and makes you thirsty - and ultimately leads to you craving even more sugary drinks (Coke, Fanta etc.).
These are decisive fast food disadvantages, if you ask me! We would be much live healthierif we stay away from it.
3. poor food quality
Deep-fried burger patties from fast food outlets are not only nutrient-poor calorie bombs, they are also very questionable from a quality of life perspective. Meat as cheap as possible of animals that genetically modified animal feed get and with Antibiotics so that they can survive their time in the cramped cages of factory farming. These are not exquisite Organic foodthat you get there, but mass-produced products of inferior quality.
4. lack of compliance with hygiene standards
The employees in fast food restaurants are under time pressure. It is therefore not surprising that the health authorities or one or two journalists uncover alarming conditions in kitchens from time to time.
Mice, maggots, over-hardened or moldy food that is nevertheless sold - These problems sometimes come to light and lead to closures. However, many "problematic" fast-food restaurants are probably still under the radar, as Controls far too infrequent due to lack of time, personnel and money take place.
5. poor price-performance ratio
When we talk about the disadvantages of fast food, we must also consider the deceptive prices thematize. Because these only seem very tempting at first glance. On closer inspection, you realize that you could cook a much healthier and more wholesome meal at home that doesn't even cost half as much. Inferior quality at high prices... it just doesn't make sense.
6. high habituation and addiction factor
Fast food is particularly greasy, sugary and contains preservatives and artificial additives. Excessive consumption of these products Acts on our brain like a drug.₁ After all, we long to be able to enjoy it again quickly.
In addition to the fast food addiction, it is also worth mentioning that the cheaply produced and quickly prepared burgers, fries and chicken wings also give you the Spoil tastethe more often you consume them. Natural, healthy meals simply won't taste as good.
7. support for animal suffering
Of course there are also vegan and therefore animal friendly alternatives on the menu of fast food restaurants. And if you eat there, you should of course prefer them for ethical, ecological and health reasons. However, we must not forget that the majority of meat and other animal foods, from the Factory farming originate. If you buy cheap fast food, you end up with meals that are produced extremely cheaply and under inhumane conditions.
8. poor working conditions preprogrammed
Unfortunately, the fast food business also quickly leads to poor working conditions. Not all franchisees pay their employees according to collective agreements. Poor pay and the pressure by superiors not only lead to dissatisfaction, but also to non-compliance with hygiene standards.₂
9. saturation only lasts for a short time
Another disadvantage of fast food is that satiety is reduced due to the "empty calories" only lasts for a very short time. Although the meals are high in calories, they are unfortunately also very low in nutrients. So burgers, fries and the like keep you full for a while - but after a short time you're hungry again. Does this sound familiar?
10. too much packaging waste
Another reason for no longer eating fast food is the extreme waste it produces. Carrier bag, foil or cardboard around each burger, boxes of fries, wrapped plastic straws and napkins galore. Even a small meal leaves behind a pile of paper and plastic waste - and unfortunately it often doesn't end up where it belongs. Who live more sustainably prefer to buy and cook their food fresh!
In addition: In addition to the environmental pollution caused by waste, the sale of cheaply produced meat products also has an ecological impact on fast food - from the climate changeabout the Deforestation of the rainforests, up to the Water shortage.
11. speed destroys sociability
FAST Food - the name says it all. Fries, burgers and milkshakes are intended for quick consumption. It has to be quick, no time to chat and enjoy. As a rule, it is estimated that you only sit in the fast-food restaurant for around 15 minutes before you set off again. There is no question of comfort and conviviality. In a unique restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere, it's a different story.
12. lack of appreciation for food
I've had the experience of just stuffing the fast food down my throat in order to to get full as quickly as possible. Maybe you feel the same way. But where is the appreciation for the food and the natural resources (or, in the case of meat eaters and vegetarians, for the lives of cows, pigs or chickens) that had to be sacrificed for it? Fast food simply means Mass instead of class.
13. local restaurants are at risk
No matter where you are in the world, there is probably a well-known international fast food restaurant such as McDonalds, KFC or Burger King near you. Every euro you leave in these companies... supports the global corporations behind these brands - and they endanger the local, regional economy. Invest your money in local food instead, support the people in the region and benefit from special restaurant experiences and unique dishes, away from mass production.
14. low trustworthiness
A deep-fried tooth in the fries, meat patties sold as vegan, a chicken head in the chicken wings, mice and maggots in the kitchen - above all numerous scandals are making a huge dent in the image of large fast-food restaurants.
However, in addition to these eclipses, for example, the deliberate Greenwashing our relationship of trust with them. McDonald's, for example, has changed the background of its company logo from red to green. Genetically modified soya in animal feed, however, is still permitted.₃ Sustainability is simply not meant seriously, it is just a put on mask, behind which everything should remain the same.
15. reduces the well-being
Hardly any nutrients, weight gain, addiction, difficult to digest, high risk of heart disease, lack of concentration and a bad feeling immediately after eating because you have "sinned" again. Of course, poor-quality food also has an effect on the body and mind.
The longer and more regularly you eat the quickly prepared, deep-fried dishes, the worse you will feel and the greater your risk of getting sick. For me, that alone is a crucial reason to stop eating fast food.
Enjoying and appreciating food, protecting animals, the environment and health - instead of eating fast food
Personally, I want to protect animals, protect the environment, live in a fair society, stay healthy and grow old. And if high-calorie, sugary and more-than-salty fast food takes me away from these desires and goals, I simply leave it alone.
Now you at least know my reasons for giving up fast food in future. What do you think? Even if this article doesn't stop you from continuing to indulge in fries, Big Macs and Whoppers, at least now you know why it makes sense to eat less of them.
I hope that I have been able to help you with this article about the disadvantages of fast food. Do you have any questions, tips or other disadvantages or advantages? Then please write me a comment.
Stay healthy,
PS.: Did you know that with a lose weight wonderfully with a plant-based diet can? In the linked article, I explain why this works so well.
References:
₁ Handelsblatt: Fast food is just as addictive as heroin (29.03.2010), available at https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/forschung-innovation/ungesunde-ernaehrung-fast-food-macht-genauso-suechtig-wie-heroin-seite-2/3400456-2.html. [13.10.2022].
₂ Stiftung Warentest: Fast food chains - employees under pressure (as at: 13.09.2013), available at https://www.test.de/Fastfood-im-Test-Wo-gibts-das-beste-Menue-4596894-4596907. [13.10.2022].
₃ Greenpeace e.V.: McDonald's green make-up (as of 28.04.2014), available at https://www.greenpeace.de/biodiversitaet/landwirtschaft/anbau/mcdonalds-gruene-schminke. [13.10.2022].
