You want to find out about fast food cons? 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, fill you up quickly and save valuable time because 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 it for the advantages.
The meals with simple preparation procedures are also mostly unhealthy, expensive, unfair, unhygienic, animal-unfriendly, socially harmful and environmentally destructive.
In this article, I would like to tell you my personal reasons for no longer consuming 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
- Animal suffering support
- Poor working conditions preprogrammed
- Saturation lasts only briefly
- Too much packaging waste
- Speed destroys sociability
- Appreciation for food is lacking
- Local restaurants will be endangered
- Low trustworthiness
- Reduces the feeling of well-being
Notice: I am aware that one or the other company now also creates wholesome and healthy fast food or that there are countless, great recipes for just such dishes. In this blog post, however, I would like to explain to you the disadvantages of typical fast food, which is offered by large companies in standardized processes with the largest possible profit margins.
1. high calorie fatteners
Classic fast food is extremely high in calories, but brings few vitamins, minerals and fiber. Most products are deep-fried in fat. As a result, high, regular fast food consumption inevitably leads to health problems such as Obesity and also favors others, diet-related diseases. For example, the risk of diabetes, heart attacks or strokes increases. That alone is already a pretty good reason to consume less or no more fast food, don't you think?
Tip: How you Prevent heart disease I'll explain how you can do this in another, more detailed article.
2. too much fat, salt and sugar
Why are prepared burgers, schnitzels, currywurst and fries from fast food outlets so unhealthy? For one thing, because they are extremely fatty - and the fatty acids are almost exclusively hazardous to health. Trans fatty acids acts. They increase the risk of heart disease and occur when oil (e.g. in the deep fryer) is heated strongly several times 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 you to crave even more sugary drinks (Coke, Fanta, etc.).
Those are crucial fast food cons if you ask me! We would substantially healthier livingif we stay away from it.
3. poor food quality
Fried burger patties from fast food establishments are not only low-nutrient calorie bombs, but also very questionable from a quality of life perspective. As cheap as possible meat of animals that genetically modified animal feed get and with Antibiotics so that they survive the time in the cramped cages of factory farming at all. 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. Therefore it is not surprising that the health department or one or the other journalist*innen again and again frightening conditions in the kitchens uncover.
Mice, maggots, food that is overcooked or moldy but still sold - these problems do sometimes come to light and lead to closures. But many "problem" establishments among fast-food restaurants are likely still operating under the radar, as Controls far too infrequent due to lack of time, personnel and money take place.
5. lousy price-performance ratio
When we talk about fast food disadvantages, we must also consider the deceptive prices as a subject of discussion. Because these only appear very tempting at first glance. A closer look reveals 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... that just doesn't make sense.
6. high habituation and addiction factor
Fast food is one of those foods that are particularly fatty, sugary, and contain preservatives and artificial additives. Excessive consumption of these products Acts on our brain like a drug.₁ After all, we long to get back to enjoying it quickly.
Besides 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 just don't taste as good to you anymore.
7. support 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, of course, you should prefer them for ethical, environmental and health reasons. However, we must not forget that most of the meat and other animal foods, from the Factory farming originate. Who buys cheap fast food, finally also gets meals, which are produced extremely cheaply and under animal-unworthy circumstances.
8. poor working conditions preprogrammed
Unfortunately, the fast food business also quickly leads to lousy working conditions. Not all franchisees pay their employees according to collective bargaining agreements. Poor pay and the pressure by superiors, in turn, lead not only to dissatisfaction but also to non-compliance with hygiene standards.₂
9. saturation lasts only for a short time
Another disadvantage of fast food is that the saturation due to the "empty calories" lasts only for a very short time. The meals are high in calories, but 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 to stop eating fast food is the extreme waste it creates. 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 would rather buy and cook his food fresh!
Also: In addition to the environmental pollution caused by waste, the sale of cheaply produced meat products also has ecological consequences in the case of fast food - from the climate change, about 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 go fast, no time to chat and enjoy. As a rule, you only sit in the fast-food restaurant for an estimated 15 minutes before you head off again. There is no question of coziness and conviviality. In a unique restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere, things look quite different.
12. appreciation for food is missing
I've had the experience of just stuffing the fast food down my throat in order to to become 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 used for it? Fast food simply means Mass instead of class.
13. local restaurants will be endangered
No matter where you are in the world, there's probably a familiar international fast food restaurant near you, like McDonalds, KFC or Burger King. Every Euro you leave in these companiesThe global corporations behind these brands are endangering the local, regional economy. Rather invest your money in local food, 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 - especially numerous scandals scratch enormously at the image of the large fast-food restaurants.
However, in addition to these eclipses, for example, the deliberate Greenwashing our relationship of trust with them. For example, McDonald's has changed the background of its corporate logo from red to green. Genetically modified soy in animal feed, however, is still permitted.₃ Sustainability is simply not meant seriously, but only a put on mask, behind which everything should remain the same.
15. reduces the well-being
Scarce nutrients, weight gain, addiction, difficult to digest, high risk of heart disease, lack of concentration. and already immediately after the meal a bad feeling, because one has "sinned" again. Of course, low-quality food also has an impact on 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 very decisive reason to stop eating fast food.
Enjoying and valuing 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, high-sugar, and more-than-salty fast food takes me away from those desires and goals, I simply leave it alone.
Now you know at least my reasons to give up fast food in the future. What do you think about it? Even if this article doesn't stop you from continuing to eat fries, Big Macs and Whoppers, at least now you know why it makes sense to eat less of it.
I hope that I could help you with this article about the fast food disadvantages. Do you have any questions, tips or other disadvantages or advantages? Then feel free to write me a comment.
Stay healthy,
PS.: Did you know that with a plant-based diet lose weight wonderfully can? In the linked article, I'll now explain why this works so well.
References:
₁ Handelsblatt: Fast Food is as Addictive as Heroin (Mar. 29, 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: Fastfoodketten - Mitarbeiter unter Druck (Stand: 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 makeup (as of: 28.04.2014), available at https://www.greenpeace.de/biodiversitaet/landwirtschaft/anbau/mcdonalds-gruene-schminke. [13.10.2022].
