Fast Food - Good or Bad

Fast Food- Good or Bad

Hamburgers, Thin Crust Pizzas, Cheesy Macaroni and why not a plate full of deep fried Hakka noodles? To gulp it down, why not a tumbler full of Pepsi, Coca Cola or Sprite? The above mentioned cuisines must have definitely resulted in you licking your lips. And to fulfill this famish, any individual would indulge in having a diet, better known as ‘FAST FOOD’. However, there a few questions regarding Fast Food, hovering in my mind, which put me in deep perplexion, which question the desires of Fast Food. Is fast food really the evil antagonist in today’s rapidly budding world? Should fast food be branded as the culprit behind the deteriorating health of millions across the globe? The above raised questions have caused me to indulge in a ‘brain-storming’ session with myself; and after a lot of thinking, I do sternly believe that fast food does no harm to the society or its residents. I have a few significant points in my kitty, which do my cause no harm.

In straightforward terms, fast food comprises of those food items that can be served in a really short span of time. This classification or the genre of fast food, gives room to all those food products that are considered as ‘evil’ in some parts of the globe. Why just evil, some gym freaks or skinny individuals even consider fast food as a ‘taboo’. The ‘tabooed’ list comprises of all those tasty Burgers of ‘McDonalds’, ‘Wendy’s, ‘Burger King’; the delicious pizzas of ‘Pizza Hut’, ‘Dominos’; the  juicy Pastas known  as ‘Lasagna’, ‘Spaghetti’ and Macaronis ; the irresistible Chinese delicacies and then all those sweet colas and soft drinks that hit the spot post any meal.

The premier reason behind diet-freaks and other experts accusing fast food of being guilty is that in several cases the fast food is soaked in oil, especially the irresistible French Fries, the speciality of the burger giants ‘McDonalds’. Scientifically speaking, oil has all the malevolent components to ruin your health. Fast food hence, often leads to you gaining a few more inches around your waist. But aren’t we ignoring an integral and a valid aspect? Why just blame the fast food for your ill-health and for that gain of a few inches around your belly? The answer to the concerned question may puzzle out many. The reasons behind you looking out for a jeans size above the desired size may be many and not just fast food.

 Lack of exercises indulged in could be one enormous reason.  Exercising may result in you living a highly pro-active life. Apart from that, exercises may play the role of that antagonist which helps you in remaining fit, both mentally as well as physically. A person hitting it out in the gym for a good couple of hours frequently should remain fit for a prolonged period. On the other hand, a person just sitting in at his home and resembling a couched potato will be the extreme opposite and will be far from being fit. There is a more than a high probability that the second person shall remain a couched potato even if he doesn’t indulge in having junk food, a synonym for fast food.  So it shall be profusely wrong to just endlessly blame the fast food products for the ill-health of people.

While browsing through the pages of several newspapers, it would be evident that the cons of fast food or the junk food are given in precise details, with some fitness professionals even quoting and expressing their views. But a question that isn’t allowing me to be in peace with my mind is that why don’t they ever highlight the positives of the fast food. Yes, you’ve got it right, the positive aspects of fast food. Consider a situation where a Chicken Pizza is presented ahead of you. Your perception of the Pizza would be that it is malignant for your health and you should avoid it. But now, have a glance at it from the other side. The chicken in the chicken pizza is an essential source of protein for your body. The positives of proteins are well known. The dough or the flour of the pizza too is beneficial for your health as it is a source of carbohydrates, the one component of food which the dieticians brand as a ‘Must Have’. The mushrooms, baby corns, olives, tomatoes and the jalapenos too have positive aspects attached to them. And finally, no pizza would be complete without cheese.

And no food product would be complete without fat. A bit of fat is essential for your body indeed as it provides you with a bit of insulation and also protects the fragile layers of your skin. And who would want to have physical features like a skinny brat who resembles nothing but a pale little stick. A similar concept is valid for Pastas that are considered to be a rich source of carbohydrates.

Now looking from the Economic perspective, fast food hasn’t done shoddily over here. Fast food joints such as ‘McDonalds’, ‘Pizza Hut’, ‘Burger King’, ‘Dominos’, etc. have lead to the booming of many economies in terms of risen GDP and risen employment. Risen employment would directly mean risen standards of living and indirectly mean lower crime rates and lower social issues, both ways being extremely desirable. And what’s more? Those fast food joints just enhance the choice available to the consumers.

Hence I do sternly believe that fast foods are a boon and not a curse, and I would also like to recommend to people to change their viewpoint and outlook of fast food.