Guest Post by John
Most of us know that fast food is not healthy…but why do we still line up at the nearest fast food outlet? Read on to find out just how much you didn’t know about the fast food industry. 
1. Fast food manufacturers don’t list all the ingredients.
Fast foods are prepared on high heat and it’s been suggested that they might even contain cancer-causing chemicals, apart from solvent residues, pesticides and other chemicals. The ingredient list will not display all the harmful things that the product contains. It’s important therefore to know how a product is made and what chemicals are added to it.
2. Fast food companies spend an inordinate amount to sell unhealthy foods to kids.
Did you know that fast food companies actually spend billions of dollars into marketing campaigns targeting children? The figure they spend on television and online advertising is around 10 billion and all of it is to reach the kids. These companies cleverly use cute cartoon characters and free giveaways to attract kids to certain brands. Some companies promise free toys with the purchase of certain products while some other companies use popular animation and cartoon characters that represent justice and goodness to sponsor their junk food labels.
3. Junk food producers tend to minimize health concerns that are associated with their products.
If you compare the results between an industry-sponsored health study and one sponsored by a junk food producer, you’ll find that the former is more honest and accurate. This is because a study sponsored by a junk food provider usually plays down the harmful aspects of its food. A study that the fast food industry funds is quite likely to be closer to advertising than it is to science.
4. Manufacturers of junk food tend to donate money to scientific nutrition associations.
If ever there was a case of the wolf covering its own tracks, this must be it. What better way to keep the focus off its own malpractices than to donate money to nutrition and health associations? Coca-cola pays money to the American Dietetic Association to publish nutritional fact sheets. This sort of behavior is called food politics. On the outside, it looks very ethical but mostly it’s a self-serving act by junk food manufacturers, in a bid to gain positive perception.
5. Additives in junk food compromise the endocrine system.
Many junk food companies add MonoSodium Glutamate (MSG) to their products. This chemical imbalances the endocrine system function, making people feel more hungry and therefore eat more food. MSG contributes directly to nationwide obesity and keeps these junk food companies in business. MSG is hidden in yeast extracts and hydrolyzed vegetable protein.
6. Artificial colorings and refined carbohydrates cause ADHD in children.
This is a scientifically proven fact; in an experiment, several kids with ADHD were taken off processed foods. Eighty percent of these ADHD children were found free of ADHD in two weeks. If you find your kids are unusually hyperactive, feed them on wholesome home cooked food for a few weeks and see the difference.
7. Aspartame causes many nervous system problems.
Aspartame poisoning is a well-known fact and yet millions of products come out each year containing aspartame. These products have a printed warning for those allergic to aspartame and nothing more. Aspartame actually causes seizures, migraines and several issues with the nervous system along with blurred vision.
8. The plastic in which some food is packed is hazardous to health.
Plastics leak bisphenol A into food and people eat the food without realizing they’re actually absorbing a hormone disruptor. Food heated or stored in hot plastic containers will contain more of this chemical. Bisphenol is known to facilitate formation of male breasts and disrupt female hormones. This chemical is also suspected to contribute to prostate, breast and other hormone-related cancers.
9. Food manufacturers pay more for the most visible shelves.
If you want to buy real quality food, head for the rear aisles. That’s where you’ll find food made by quality manufacturers whose products sell because they’re good and not because they’re advertised rigorously. It’s well known that popular food manufacturers buy front and visible shelf space to position their products to best effect.
10. The less healthy the food, the better the profits.
When foods are processed to a high degree, the profit margin increases, while the nutrition decreases. Processed food is not wholesome and fresh. To increase profits, food manufacturers add other ingredients to the food to increase its size and weight. It’s better to eat whole foods such as an apple instead of opting for applesauce or juice.
11. Trans fat or saturated fat, it’s still harmful fat.
Food labels sometimes replace ‘trans fat’ with ‘saturated fats’. From a fat perspective, both are dangerous. Just because of the recent hue and cry over trans fats, manufacturers now ensure that their products don’t mention this phrase. Bottom line – don’t trust labels, as they are an attempt to play off public perception.
12. Packaged cereal is not exactly good for health.
Packaged cereal comes in many pretty colors and shapes. However, these shapes and colors are achieved by pushing slurry of grains through a machine, forcing them out of a hole, cutting them into shapes and spraying sugar and oil over it. During this process, the grains lose most of their nutrients. It’s better to cook whole grains and eat them rather than buy packaged cereals.John runs an online nursing scrub store where you can shop for men and women lab coats, scrub tops and sets.
John runs an online nursing scrub store where you can shop for men and women lab coats, scrub tops and sets.