The Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC) yesterday called for raising public health education about the bad effects of fast food on people, especially children. This is aimed at creating a healthy eating habit by reducing the dependence on fast food, the impact of which can impair the health of the future generation.
The deleterious influence of fast food or junk food has been a cause for worry among the health officials across the world for a long time. Uncontrolled consumption of junk food can impair the function of any and every part of our body, right from head to the toe.
Now-a-days swinging through the drive-thru or hopping into the favourite fast food restaurant tends to happen more often than some would admit.
It is fast becoming an addiction for more and more people, which can cause a drain on the public exchequer creating a burden on the public health spending. While an occasional meal of fast food won’t hurt, a habit of eating out could be causing several debilitating impacts on one’s body.
Most junk food, including soft drinks which accompany, are loaded with carbohydrate and sugar with little fibre, releasing glucose into the bloodstream when they break down. Frequently consuming such food can lead to repeated spike in blood sugar and over time, it may cause the body’s insulin response to falter, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
These food often contain a lot of trans-fat and added sugar, which trigger an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL or bad cholesterol), lowering high-density lipoprotein (HDL or good cholesterol) which would result in cardio-vascular problems. Studies have proven that junk food contain high-levels of sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure. Excess calories of such food causes obesity, putting extra burden on lungs resulting in asthma and shortness of breath. Junk food can impair central nervous system, reproductive system, integumentary system (skin, hair, and nail) and the skeletal system.
A nutritionist at Al Wakra Health Center, Mahmoud Al Turki, said that junk food have a negative effect on the foetus when pregnant women frequently eats it, as it affects foetal growth and formation. Al Turki said that such habits can cause family and social dysfunction due to lack of gathering within the family to eat together.
The intelligent vision of Qatar’s wise leadership is known for its farsightedness, which never fails to foresee the approaching dangers and demands, whether its is in public education, health, economy, social sector or sports. The PHCC’s call for an awareness campaign against the ill effects of fast food is complementary to this vision. This timely effort will definitely bring about a change and act as an eye-opener for the public about the bad effect of regular consumption of fast food.
