The Global Fast Food Market and Its Harmful Effects on Health and Society

Running head: EFFECTS OF FAST FOOD MARKETS 1
The global fast food market and its harmful effects on health and society
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EFFECTS OF FAST FOOD MARKETS 2
The global fast food market and its harmful effects on health and society
Many at times, we find ourselves too busy and hungry in urgent situations yet we have to
eat something since food is like fuel to the body and we cannot function properly. In such cases,
our options are very minimal (Musaiger, Al-Khalifa, & Al-Mannai, 2016). The quickest and
cheap alternative is to purchase fast food in a nearby restaurant. Little do we know the
consequences of such fast food markets (Stanton, 2015). The World Health Organization and the
Centre for Disease and Control define a fast food as any quickly and packed food with high
percentage of calories that pose a great risk both on our health and the society.
In as much as the fast foods provides a sense of satisfaction, they pose a big challenge
with realizing aspirations of the common good. Fast food markets according to different studies,
result to obesity which affects the health of individuals and the society both locally in Australia
and globally (Poobalan & Aucott, 2016). Obesity, the third most leading causes of death in the
World, is defined as accumulation of cholesterol in the body to toxic or harmful levels. Obesity,
otherwise known as overweight, can be diagnosed in a laboratory through a BMI test. A BMI
above 30 kg/m2 indicates obesity. Studies note that obesity is as a result of consuming fast food.
(Frank, 2016). The study notes that in United States of America for example, a child can learn of
a fast food joint earlier than the child can learn to speak. This is the reason why the World Health
Organization has reported over 42 million cases of childhood obesity between 2013 and
2013(Bhadoria et al., 2015). It is projected that by 2030, the numbers would have increased to 56
million if at all no intervention measures are implemented (Bhadoria et al., 2015). This would
create more stress on the society. Complications of obesity include cancer, diabetes and
cardiovascular diseases. These complications are the causes of the highest mortality rates
globally and locally that eventually deprives the society of its productive generation. This has a