Top 10 Nuances You Didn't Know About Fast Food
'23.06.2022'
Source: Time
Carefully! You will never look at a tray of hamburgers and chips the same way again, warns Time.
They may seem more or less harmless. But actually Ronald, Wendy and this guy are from Burger King are part of an underground society of fast food owners - a society that has more tricks up its sleeve than Houdini. The good news is that you don't have to give up hamburgers, sandwiches, and fries forever. Once you learn the secrets of the fast food trade, you can easily order a healthier menu, lose weight, and save your hard-earned dollars.
1. This can lead to depression.
Unbelievable, but true: even if you usually eat healthy foods, eating fast food can increase the risk of depression. These are the research data Public Health Nutrition, covering about 9 thousand participants. In fact, those who eat fatty hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries are 51% more likely to be depressed. Fortunately for those who encounter fast food only occasionally, researchers have established a dose-dependence. “The more fast food you eat, the greater your risk of depression,” explains study lead author Almudena Sánchez-Villegas. Conclusion: try to eat fast food no more than once or twice a month. Even better, if you need to kill a worm, stop by one of the healthy fast food restaurants.
2. Most of us have no idea how many calories there are.
If you are an attentive reader of Eat This, Not That!, then you probably have some idea of how many calories in your order. But, according to a Harvard Medical School report, most people aren't as knowledgeable. To reach this conclusion, the researchers interviewed 1877 adults, 330 school-age children, and 1178 teenagers who ate lunch at Burger King, Subway, Wendy's, KFC, Dunkin 'Donuts and McDonald's. Compared to their actual values, participants underestimated the calorie content of the meal by 175 calories, 259 calories, and 175 calories, respectively. So if the calorie information is listed on the menu, it's best to read it and try to choose something no more than 500 calories.
3. Fast food next door makes you thicker
Your buddy Ronald put his restaurant next door on purpose - he needs you. And that's because one of the strongest factors influencing fast food consumption is ease of access. According to a collaborative study by Columbia University and UC Berkeley, having a fast food restaurant within 0,1 miles (160 m) of a school increases the likelihood of student obesity by 5,2%. For pregnant women, having a restaurant within 0,5 miles (800 m) increases the chance of gaining weight during pregnancy by more than 2,5 pounds (44 kg) by 20%. (Experts generally recommend women with a healthy BMI gain no more than 25-35 pounds during pregnancy.) To keep your figure, keep healthy snacks in your car or bag.
4. Most of this is eaten in Kentucky.
Kentucky might be called the Blue Grass State, but perhaps the Fast Food State would be more appropriate. With over 4 locations per 10 residents, there are more fast food chains than anywhere else in America. (Given that the state is the home of Papa John's International Inc. and yum! Brands Incorporated, the company that owns the giants of fast food Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, we're not all that shocked.) Kentucky is ranked 12th in the adult obesity rankings nationwide (according to the non-profit organization Trust for America's Health). Here are a few possible reasons: It's hard to resist the temptation when there's plenty of fast food around, plus it drives prices down, the researchers say.
5. It is not cheap
Contrary to popular belief, eating at a fast food chain is not cheap. At McDonald's, it will cost about $30 for a family of four. On the other hand, for just $12, you can easily buy a pound of millet ($1,99), a pound of turkey ($5,99) and a couple of packs of frozen vegetable salads ($2,00-4,00) and make a whole big bowl of food.
6. Smell of Fresh Smoke - Fake
Have you ever wondered how your favorite burgers and chicken sandwiches get their fresh taste despite being frozen and cooked indoors? We have an answer. And, as it turned out, the aroma of haze does not appear in a very legal way. When a serving of fast food contains something called "natural smoke flavor", then it was probably created. Red Arrow Products Company, a commercial company - manufacturer of flavors. To create a scent, the company burns wood, precipitates the scent of smoke in water, pours it into bottles and sells it to places like Burger King and Wendy's. We bet that a hamburger now seems to you not so appetizing?
7. Nutritionists do not approve
We spoke to countless experts asking them how often they order food from places like Burger King, Mickey D's, Panera, Wendy's, and Starbucks. It turned out that never.
8. The design tempts you
Have you noticed that many fast food chains use the same colors on their logos and restaurants? This is not an accident. Pizza Hut, In-N-Out Burger, Wendy's, McDonald's and Burger King (just to name a few) use yellow and red in their logos. These hues grab consumers' attention, stimulate appetite and increase the speed at which we eat, say University of Rochester researchers. To keep your appetite under control, order takeaway food and enjoy it at home. And if the weather is nice, eat at a picnic table or in a nearby park.
9. Words play against you
Many sensible people come to fast-food restaurants with the best intentions, but for some reason they end up with a bacon cheeseburger and a portion of chips. This is why it happens: food marketers usually use descriptive phrases in the menus and advertisements in stores, such as Finger lickin good and hot n 'juicy. It turns out that customers are 27% more likely to order a product if it is described with appetizing adjectives, researchers at Cornell University say. The same group of scientists found that certain menu design elements, such as fancy fonts, colors, and graphics, can affect customer orders. The next time you go to a fast food restaurant, you should make a decision about ordering in advance.
10. "Medium" is actually "large"
Duke University researchers found that chains often encourage customers to buy large sodas by increasing the number of ounces in all volumes from "small" to "large". This is because people subconsciously choose the middle option, so the more “middle” the more you can earn from it! Consider this another reason to prefer plain water.
