Influence of Fast Food on Children

“You are what you eat”, is a well known saying. Its message really means that if you eat healthy foods, you are most likely to be healthy. The good and healthy foods which include fresh fruits, green vegetables, fibre rich grains, pulses etc are considered old fashioned. Kids and teenagers today are opting for a greasy burger and a bag of fries, with a soda included to complete the meal. It is the age of fast-food. Eating fast-food means instant gratification. And eating fast-food much of the time can seriously injure the health of anybody, especially growing children and teenagers. Everywhere they are lamenting that obesity is on the rise, especially amongst children. Blame it on salt or sugar. Call it the fast-food disaster, but a meal at a fast-food restaurant could expose a child to unnaturally high levels of salt. The daily recommended dosage of salt is no more than 6gm per day for an adult and 3gm per day for a child. Studies have shown that Fast-Food meals can easily contain four times that amount of salt for a child. Moreover, these fast-food meals are extremely high in calories. Eat a small amount and you will be packing on the pounds rapidly. Besides, an excess of salt in the body can send children’s blood pressure soaring, thereby putting them at the risk of both stroke and heart disease.
The consequences of bad eating are many. From skin problems to obesity, poor digestion, an inability to think clearly, a general lack of energy, constant mood swings and blood sugar inconsistencies.
The excess sugar in the fast foods leads to diabetes in children. I have a personal experience related to this. One of my classmates in IV std had bad eating habits. His lunch box was almost always packed with burgers, fried chicken or French fries. Added to this he was always seen drinking colas. Due to this he was overweight and physically inactive. Unfortunately, during the same year he was diagnosed as diabetic. Doctors placed all the diet restrictions for him and