There is nothing wrong with eating fast food such as burgers, fries, pizza, chips, soft drinks and milkshakes once in a while. However, there are several harmful effects of fast food on your body if eaten regularly.
Fast food usually contains only a little amount of essential nutrients while containing lots of potentially unhealthy content such as calories and fat. Wonderlist shared some of the most harmful effects of fast food on the body.
1. Weight Gain
Cheese Pizza pic.twitter.com/jlmitBp16z
— FoodPics (@ItsFoodPics) April 13, 2016
One of the most harmful effects of fast food is weight gain. Being overweight and obese can harm a person's self-esteem and self-image as well as cause a lot of health issues such as hypertension, stroke, cardiac arrest and diabetes.
2. Heart Disease
French Fries pic.twitter.com/FlH7fVwJru — Food Pictures (@LetsLoveFood) April 14, 2016
Fast food snacks are usually not heart-friendly. The fat content of fast food dishes can clog arteries and significantly increase the body's cholesterol levels. People who consume fast food at least four times a week increase their risk for fatal heart disease by as much as 80 percent.
3. Type 2 Diabetes
Cookies and cream milkshake with extra chocolate. pic.twitter.com/qXD5i3DxBq
— FoodPics (@ItsFoodPics) April 11, 2016
"Diabetes is a life-long disease that affects the way your body handles glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood," WebMD shares. This condition is caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices such as sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes can be dramatically reduced by incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet and less fast food.
4. Kidney Disease
Potato Chip Fact: It takes approximately 10,000 pounds of potatoes to make 3,500 pounds of potato chips pic.twitter.com/AWDcZZ8Mu3 — Better Made (@BetterMade) April 10, 2016
One of the worst possible effects of fast food on the body is the development of kidney problems. Fast food usually contains plenty of sodium which can increase a person's risk for kidney stones and kidney disease, Healthline explains.