The real cost of fast food will not be found on the menu boards

In the Caribbean, we have seen a significant increase in the availability and consumption of fast food over the last 50 years.

Concurrently, and not coincidentally, we are seeing a tsunami in chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that are asphyxiating our region.
NCDs are ravaging our health, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Almost no Caribbean family has been spared.

Our Caribbean governments have been forced to allocate scarce resources for the management of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, strokes, kidney disease, dementia, cancers, and other NCDs. As a consequence of NCDs, our social security systems have no choice but to pay out considerable sums in sickness and disability benefits.

Fast food is a mass-produced processed “food” that is quickly prepared, placed in a container or wrapper, and can be consumed at the place of purchase or taken away.

Most purveyors of fast food seem to be willfully oblivious to the health-disruptive and life-abbreviating impact their offerings are having on their customers.

Characteristics of fast food:
In most instances, the “food” available at fast food outlets has one or more of the following characteristics:

● Low in nutritional value
● High in calories
● High in trans fats
● High in salt
● High in sugar
● High in artificial additives.

The most popular fast food items in the Caribbean:

● French fries
● Fried chicken
● Hamburgers plus cheese and or bacon
● Pizza
● Wings
● Chicken nuggets
● Chicken Sandwiches
● Biscuits
● Potato wedges
● Rotis
● Rolls
● Wraps
● Club sandwiches
● Sodas
● Ice cream.

Profile of consumers and circumstances that drive fast food consumption:

● Lack of time to prepare a home-cooked meal
● Dearth in cooking skills
● Primarily between 20 and 40 years
● Many are single
● Overweight/obese individuals
● Higher-income earners
● Often, young children are in the household
● Socializing with friends
● Habit – e.g. weekend outing with family
● Outlets are strategically located
● Offerings and specials heavily advertised in media – traditional/ social
● Presence of extra trappings – e.g. play park
● Item often costs less than healthy food options.

The most unhealthy fast food items are:

● Bread based
● Fried
● Sugary (drinks and ice cream)
● Potato based (French fries, wedges).

The addictive nature of fast food:

Shortly after consuming fast food, a very powerful neurotransmitter, dopamine, is released in the brain. Dopamine is the backbone of the reward system. Over time many of us develop a craving for foods that stimulate the release of dopamine. The ingredients in fast foods that are most likely to stimulate dopamine’s release are salt, sugar, fats, and artificial additives. Science has shown that the most addictive fast food items are pizza, ice cream, French fries, cheeseburgers, soda, and fried chicken.

Health complications linked to fast food consumption in adults:

● Type 2 diabetes
● Hypertension
● Heart disease
● Stroke
● Kidney disease
● Obesity
● Reduced lung capacity
● Autoimmune diseases
● A range of cancers
● Poor memory
● Dementia
● Reduced fertility
● Constipation
● Depression
● Sleep apnea.

Children who consume fast food often are more prone to:

● Asthma
● Tooth decay
● Joint problems
● Obesity
● Constipation
● Eczema
● Poor academic performance
● Reduced energy
● Behavioural issues
● Type 2 diabetes
● Hypertension
● Sub-optimal health in adulthood.

Benefits of avoiding fast food :

● Loss of weight
● Improved heart health
● Reduced chances of stroke
● Reduced chances of diabetes
● Reduced chances of hypertension
● Reduced chances of cancer
● Improved memory
● Improved academic performance
● Improved mental health
● Increased longevity.

Mitigating the health impact of fast food:

● Plan your meals.
● If eating out, choose healthy options
● Take to work and send to school healthy meals/ snacks.
● Stop rewarding children with a meal from a fast food outlet.
● If feeding a child with fast food, the parent or guardian should choose what the child eats.
● Get everyone in your family, especially your children, to pledge to avoid fast food.
● Try to avoid getting extremely hungry. When in such a state you are more likely to seek fast food.
● Control stress. Stress often results in stress eating.
● Make cooking classes mandatory for ALL Secondary School students.
● Cut out soft drinks and commercial juices and drink water. This way you can quench your thirst without taking in extra calories.
● Make a conscious effort to replace burgers with grilled chicken
● Replace fries with a salad.
● Treat your sweet tooth naturally by eating more fruits.
● Eat more protein.
● When it comes to food choices, parents/ guardians need to be good examples for the children.
● Caribbean Ministries of Health should periodically conduct public education campaigns on the health dangers of fast food.
● Planning permission should not be granted to fast food outlets applying to open within a 1-mile radius of schools.
● Governments should ban fast food advertising on government-owned radio/ TV stations.
● If you regularly consume fast food, have your doctor check your weight, blood pressure, calcium, vitamin D, complete blood count, blood sugar, kidney function, liver function, and lipid/cholesterol profile.

Author: Dr. C. Malcolm Grant – Family Physician, Family Care Clinic, Arnos Vale.
Former tutor in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados.
For appointments: 1(784)570-9300 (Office), 1(784)455-0376 (WhatsApp)
Disclaimer: The information provided in the above article is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical
professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Dr. C. Malcolm Grant, Family Care Clinic or The Searchlight Newspaper or their associates, respectively, are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information provided above.