Fast Food is Slowing Us Down by Brooks Spears

Brooks Spears

Matthew Logsdon

AP English Language & Composition

13 December 2015

Fast Food is Slowing Us Down

I walked into class today hungry, but also, as usual, lazy. I would exaggerate my longing for food and say that I was starving, but that would be entirely untrue. I could have waited a little longer, gone home, and created an enjoyable, healthy entree. But I only wanted a quick bite to eat, and I certainly didn’t want to make my own breakfast. So you know what I did, right? I drove straight through McDonald’s and bought a second-Thanksgiving’s worth of food.

Clamoring and salivating for a greasy bite to eat, I didn’t think twice about what was going into my body: the sweet and savory side of sweat and salmonella slowly sliding into the skin of my chicken. Of course, that was an exaggeration, but it may as well have been the blunt truth, the unsubsiding evidence that this so-called “fast food” is not what we should be searching for. Because while it may seem, and perhaps even is, the faster way to exercise our stomachs; it is undisputedly not the healthier way, damaging us both physically and emotionally; so we, not only as a society, but as individuals, should strive towards a healthier diet, without the extra preservatives, without the deep-fried potatoes, without the sauce-covered grease, by simply limiting fast food in favor of the home-cooked meal.

The effects of fast food overindulgence are shown in the documentary which we have all seen, or at least heard of, aptly named “Super Size Me,” in which Morgan Spurlock undergoes the challenge of eating solely McDonald’s for a month. He epitomizes the negative effects of a long-lasting, McDonald’s-only diet, and during his experiment, Spurlock begins feeling the consequences of such a regimine, constantly appearing sick and exhausted, even reaching a point where his doctor advises him to stop due to health concerns.

But Spurlock’s journey only marks the beginnings of unhealthy living. While Spurlock only ate McDonald’s for a month, some people have eaten McDonald’s daily for years. And that’s where the real problems begin. In an article written by Ivy Morris, a specialist in health and fitness, she says that prolonged consumption of fast food can increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Morris also explains that such choices can also lead to depression and anxiety(“How Fast Food Affects You Negatively”). So, we have here two aspects through which fast food damages us: physical and mental.

These, however, are not the only ways unhealthy eating poorly affects us. You may think you know about the dangers of Burger King, you might think you understand the problems with Wendy’s, you may even know the consequences of choosing chicken from Mickey D’s. But are you aware of the entire story? Do you know the hidden causes of child obesity, or coronary disease (“How Fast Food Affects You Negatively”)? No? Well, it’s fast food and these consequences stretch far beyond the lengths of our own bodies.

The effects of fast food can be seen even in education; schools closer to fast food restaurants are more likely to have obese students which can affect them for the duration of their lives. ( Medina, “Fast-Food Outlet Stirs Concerns in a Mecca of Healthy Living”).  Look at this image. It details several ways in which fast food damages our body: dental distress, depression, shortness of breath, and high cholesterol just to name a few. This news shouldn’t be shocking, it should be concerning. We should be focused on preparing our youth for the world, on taking the next step in improving our society, resolving social injustices, interpreting and creating the law, innovating new ideas and mechanisms, succeeding us as the heirs to the Earth.  But we cannot achieve this goal if we don’t also focus on our youth’s health and well-being. Eliminating, or even reducing, the amount of unhealthy food we ingest is a great place to start.

It’s starting to seem that our laziness may actually have a price to pay in the long term. So what do we do? It’s so much easier stopping by a McDonald’s on the way home instead of washing dishes,  stopping by a drive-thru at Taco Bell, or ordering a box of Papa John's; it’s just a hell of a lot more fun being lazy. But that’s precisely the problem. We shouldn’t take the easy road, we should turn away from Wendy’s instead of towards it, and we should “strive for greatness,” as Lebron would say.

So as I come to a close, I’d like to remind you of Morgan Spurlock, I’d like to recollect on the advisement of Ivy Morris, I’d hope you remember the damage such a lifestyle can have, and I want to say that I’m not asking you to never drive through McDonald’s or to altogether avoid Chick fil A or to shrink away from Taco Bell; I’m only asking that you eat in moderation, that you try to make the healthier choice. I’m asking that you remember what you’re passing on to your friends, your family, your children. I’m asking that you remember the future.

Annotated Bibliography       

Super Size Me. Hart Sharp Video, 2004. Film.

The movie Super Size Me by Morgan Spurlock details the events of a man who goes on a diet solely consisting of McDonald’s over the course of a month. During which, his weight increases dramatically, as he also undergoes some unexpected side effects. Spurlock also delves into McDonald’s continuously increasing role in consumerism throughout America as well as its effect on obesity.

“How Fast Food Affects you Negatively.” Healthy Eating. Web. 27 June 2015.

This website specifically details the physiological effects of unhealthy eating such as Type 2 diabetes. She uses many facts and data from experiments and surveys to support her position and describes how unhealthy eating habits can lead to obesity and some psychological symptoms such as depression and addiction.

Medina, Jennifer. "Fast-Food Outlet Stirs Concerns in a Mecca of Healthy Living." The      New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Dec. 2011. Web. 30 June 2015.

This article in the New York Times written by Jennifer Medina describes and explains the city Loma Linda, east of los Angeles which has one of the highest average lifespans in the world. She explains the connection between common decisions residents tend to have there, such as vegetarian lifestyles and this longevity. However, she finds one link that has a definite impact is the lack of fast food joints.

"13 Effects Of Fast Food On The Body - Educate Inspire Change." Educate Inspire Change. 9 Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

This image shows a human body and a list of corresponding symptoms brought about by an overindulgence of fast food. The article that accompanies the image goes into further depth about how each of these symptoms can have a negative effect on the body in the long-term.