foto: freepik.com
Brilio.net - As time goes by, fast food consumption in Indonesia is increasing every year. From the results of a survey conducted by AcuityHub, in the cities of Jakarta, Bodetabek, Surabaya and Medan with 2,000 respondents, it is known that 75% of people consume fast food on weekends and 24% consume fast food on weekdays.
The habit of consuming fast food is also carried out by teenagers. According to research on adolescent health conducted by the Indonesian Ministry of Health in 2021, which involved 133,274 adolescents aged 13-18 years, the results showed that 42.5% of adolescents consumed fast food in the last 7 days and 18.1% of adolescents consumed fast food at least twice. in a week.
Apart from that, it is known that teenagers in urban areas consume fast food at a higher rate than teenagers in rural areas. The percentage of teenagers in urban areas reached 47.8%, while rural teenagers reached 35.8%. Examining this data clearly shows that health problems, especially related to adolescent food nutrition , are increasingly lurking over time.
If left alone, it is not impossible that Indonesian teenagers will experience a health crisis. One of them is obesity and diabetes. So what are the bad effects of fast food on body health? Come on, see the complete review reported by brilio.net from various sources on Friday (24/5).
The impact of consuming fast food on body health.Fast food or fast food has a bad impact on health, not limited to age or gender. Children, teenagers and adults can also be affected by the bad effects of fast food. Following are some of the bad effects of fast food if consumed every day.
1. Potential for obesity.
photo: freepik.com
Fast food is generally high in calories, saturated fat and trans fat. Hydrogenated saturated fats in the body can be harmful to blood vessels. Apart from that, this content can also trigger faster weight gain if consumed in excess.
Referring to longitudinal research involving more than 3,000 young adult respondents over 15 years, the results show that people who often eat at junk food restaurants (more than twice a week) experience an average weight gain of 4.5 kilograms compared to people who rarely eat. do it (less than once a week).
Moreover, without being balanced with exercise or a healthy lifestyle, teenagers who often eat junk food or fast food are at higher risk of becoming obese later in life.
Obesity in adolescence generally continues into adulthood. A teenager who is obese is also at high risk of having high cholesterol levels, coronary heart disease, and various other common diseases.
2. Heart disease.
photo: freepik.com
Fast food generally contains a lot of saturated fat and trans fat which comes from the cooking oil used to fry food. Saturated fat and trans fat can increase bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood.
High LDL cholesterol can build up on artery walls, forming plaque and narrowing blood flow.
This narrowing of the arteries can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, such as heart attack and stroke.
Apart from that, fast food contains a lot of sodium (salt) which comes from preservatives so it can increase high blood pressure.
Not only that, fast food also tends to be low in fiber and micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. In fact, vitamins and minerals are really needed to lower cholesterol, maintain digestive health and heart health.
3. Diabetes.
photo: freepik.com
Reporting from Medical News Today, fast food is not only high in fat and calories, but also has a high glycemic index. This means that blood sugar will rise quickly after consuming fast food.
Apart from that, fast food portions are usually large but don't make you full, so don't be surprised if you become hungry again quickly in a short time. This increases the desire to overeat, which has fatal consequences in blood sugar spikes that can potentially lead to diabetes.
Being overweight and body fat are the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the main risk factor for heart disease. Therefore, pay attention to the food intake you consume.
4. High blood pressure.
photo: freepik.com
Fast food is known as food that is high in saturated fat and trans fat. Saturated fats and trans fats can cause plaque buildup in the arteries (atherosclerosis). This can result in the arteries becoming stiff and narrow, so the heart has to work harder to pump blood, which in turn can increase blood pressure.
Apart from that, according to the IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science, fast food often lacks important nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and fiber. Potassium and magnesium are important for regulating blood pressure, and fiber helps maintain a healthy heart and blood vessels. Therefore, consuming fast food poses a risk for hypertension.
Consuming fast food too often can disrupt nutritional balance and cause various health conditions that result in high blood pressure. It is best to consume healthy foods that are rich in nutrients, low in salt, saturated fat and low in sugar to keep blood pressure within normal limits.
Factors that influence teenagers' consumption of fast food.
photo: freepik.com
Quoting from the BMC Public Health journal entitled Determining intention, fast food consumption and their related factors among university students by using a behavior change theory and the MIPHMC journal from e-journal.fkmumj.ac.id entitled Fast Food Consumption Behavior in Adolescents, shows that there are several factors that influence teenagers to consume fast food.
Several factors influence teenagers' behavior in consuming fast food, including:
1. Taste.
The delicious taste of fast food is often the main reason teenagers choose to eat fast food.
2. Affordable prices.
Fast food is usually offered at affordable prices, making it an attractive option for teenagers. Apart from that, its practicality makes teenagers prefer to consume fast food such as burgers, pizza and the like.
3. Comfortable place.
It is not uncommon to find fast food restaurants providing a comfortable place to gather, study or just relax, so they have become an attraction for teenagers.
4. Peer influence.
Teenagers tend to be influenced by the choices and behavior of their peers, including consumption of fast food. When his environment is used to hanging out at fast food restaurants, it is unlikely that he will be influenced to consume the same food.
Therefore, education about the impact of fast food consumption and the importance of healthy eating patterns can be an important step in helping teenagers make healthier food choices.
Tips to reduce the habit of consuming fast food.
photo: freepik.com
Ways that help you reduce the habit of consuming fast food include:
1. Write down the reasons you want to stop consuming fast food.
When you want to stop consuming fast food to maintain your health, try writing down the main reasons for your desire. For example, determined to lose weight, save money, invest in health in old age or various other reasons. The goal is to remind yourself to completely stop consuming fast food.
2. Look for trigger foods and avoid them as best as possible.
Understand and avoid the types of fast food that most often make you drool. One way is to bring your own healthy food or drinks.
3. Make a daily meal plan to reduce hunger.
Make a menu of healthy foods to consume for one day. Reduce snacking and focus on eating heavy meals. If necessary, plan a food menu for the next week.
4. Understand stress patterns.
Usually, stress makes a person tend to want to eat sweet foods or fast food. Therefore, recognize yourself when there are times when you feel stressed. After that, try to find other alternatives to deal with stress, such as going for a walk or enjoying a day in nature.
5. Practice mindful eating
Mindful eating means eating comfortably without being distracted by television, cellphones and other activities. Focus only on eating and enjoying each meal. The hope is that by focusing on food, you can pay more attention to what goes into your body.
(brl/jad)
