Impact of Fast Food
In today’s fast paced world, where people are looking for quicker, tastier and cheaper meals that they can buy and eat on the go, fast foods have found a definite place on the menus. Burgers, french fries and pizzas are relished by adults and children alike. Companies selling them reap profits with some of them setting up a chain of brand stores at strategic points to lure customers. In fact, fast foods have found their way into school lunch menus as well. However, fast foods can have adverse health effects due to the cheaper ingredients using which they are prepared. So we can imagine the impact they would have on the health of children who would consume them without restraint if they are sold in schools.
Health Effects of Fast Food
People choose fast food over regular food because they are cheaper, quicker to get and tastier to eat. However, what they may not realize is that fast foods are prepared with cheaper components such as high fat meat, processed grains, hydrogenated oils, etc. Such foods are high on sodium, trans fat, cholesterol, and saturated fat which cause adverse health effects if consumed for a prolonged period of time. According to medical experts, fast foods are one of the major contributing factors of obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure and even cancer. In fact, as of 2016, unhealthy food choices have been a cause of more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S (Despres, 2018).
Why Are Schools Selling Fast Food
Schools have various reasons to resort to selling fast foods. Firstly, in a brand conscious world, even schools have to bring in big brand name to keep their cafeterias running. Having a McDonald’s burger in their menu boosts the sales compared to homemade food items. Secondly, it reduces the overheads such as labor costs associated with preparing homemade meals (Lehmann, 2013). Lastly, with the overhead costs reduced, they are sold at cheaper prices that are affordable to students from low-income families. In a fast world where both parents are employed, parents too find it difficult to prepare lunch at home for the children so as to prevent them from having food at the school cafeterias.
Nutritional Alternatives
From their side, food joints and brand names have also started coming up with healthier varieties of fast food. The salads offered by McDonald’s and the healthy yet tasty sandwiches at Subway are good examples of fast yet healthy food. Fast foods now come with low calorie options such as low-fat milk, low-fat cheese, etc. There are a lot vegetables and fruits available as options for the toppings in sandwiches and pizzas. Foods that have a low carbohydrate and high protein content are also available. Such foods can be healthier and tastier alternatives available to children in schools. Schools, while continuing to offer fast foods on their menus, should move to healthier options. This would benefit the children and the schools alike.
To help people with making informed nutritional choices, the FDA (Federal Food and Drug Administration) has necessitated certain labeling conventions for fast food restaurants. It is mandatory for chain restaurants to provide calorie-related information on the food menus (Young Men’s Health, 2019). Students should be informed to look up calorie information to make appropriate food choices that is not detrimental to them.
Future Outlook
Fast foods are here to stay. They will continue to be popular due to their taste, cost and faster and easier availability, despite the various ill effects on health. For various cost and logistical reasons, schools continue to offer fast foods in their menus. Children by themselves may not have the self-restraint to avoid unhealthy food options. Thus, it is necessary for schools to replace regular fast foods with healthier alternatives which will continue to bring in the revenue while ensuring the ill effects are avoided.
References
Lehmann, Deborah (2013). Why school cafeterias are dishing out fast food. Education.com. Retrieved from https://www.education.com/magazine/article/fast-food-school-cafeterias/
Despres, Cliff (2018). Study: Unhealthy eating is top risk for early death in U.S. Salud America!. Retrieved from https://salud-america.org/unhealthy-eating-is-top-cause-of-us-death/
Young Men’s Health (2019). Fast food facts. Young Men’s Health. Retrieved from
https://youngmenshealthsite.org/guides/fast-food/
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