We often think about how to stay healthy from nutrition to exercise. To learn how to live better, people read articles on the internet about how to stay healthy

However, the information many people get  online on how to stay healthy are fragments.

Health issues like obesity are common in the U.S. and can easily be linked to the popularity of fast food chains. Hypertension and type 2 diabetes are all common consequences to the bad dietary habits of Americans. In our country, obesity exists in adolescents to adults.

According to research, processed food and fast-food dining have added to the health concerns of society. In the production of processed food, additives are added to enhance the taste, smell, color and even the texture of food. In Food Matters, the essay “Why the Fries Taste Good” by Eric Schlosser, tell about his investigation in one of the manufacturing facility of International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF), the world’s largest flavor company.

In Schlosser’s description, “IFF’s confectionary lab devises the flavor for ice cream, cookies, candies, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and antacids. Everywhere I looked, I saw famous, widely advertised products sitting on laboratory desks and tables.”

Do we still consider them as food or just the mixture of food additives? Many of us know processed food lacks nutrition. The reason why people like to eat the foods is that they taste good. The food deceives our senses. The trick of “natural flavor” is a misrepresentation. It lies to customers. Natural flavor is still produced by food additives.

Moreover, according to the journal DEBATE “Fast Food: Unfriendly and Unhealthy” by S. Stender, the portion size, industrially produced trans fat, and the fat content in fast food meals are the root of health issues like obesity and type 2 diabetes.  The trans-fatty acid is also a concern. According to Stender’s team: “Trans-fatty acids are also found naturally in meat from ruminants and in dairy products, but not nearly to the same extent as in industrially produced trans fat. A single meal in fast food businesses contains 50 percent of fats that enable consumers to ingest 36 g of IP-TFA then to the intake of other fat sources.” Strong evidence that points out one of the causes of obesity. Obesity cannot be neglected as it can cause serious health problems. For instance, it can increase the morbidity of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In agreement with this point, Stender’s team stated: “IP-TFA is obesity promoting, and that they particularly facilitate the deposition of the harmful abdominal fat associated with chronic heart disease. These findings can contribute to explaining why high intakes of IP-TFA may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.”

Knowing that obesity can cause type 2 diabetes and hypertension, we really need to be careful about what we should eat. Our eating habits affect our body. Health can be your best friend or worst enemy.  We have the responsibility to watch what we eat. The fast food industry also has the responsibility for the food they sell and market.