Health Effects of Fast Food

Over one billion people around the world are now overweight or obese, a stunning change over just the last 30 years.

As rates of obesity rise, so do rates of diet-related diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and even some cancers. This is a world-wide epidemic, and it is clear that the sheer number of calories we are consuming from junk foods - such as fast food - is a huge contributor to our deteriorating health.

The most frightening part of the epidemic of obesity and diet-related diseases is its effect on our kids. For example, nearly one-third of America’s children are now overweight or obese, and it’s predisposing them to new and life-threatening health conditions.

Conditions such as kidney stones, “adult onset” diabetes and thickening of the arteries are becoming more common in children at increasingly younger ages. How did we get here? The food that corporations market to children is hurting them in ways we never imagined.

Obesity and diet-related diseases, like diabetes, disproportionately affect low-income and minority communities.

While the movement toward locally-grown, sustainable food systems is taking hold across the country, many communities are still missing out on these exciting changes, making due instead with fast food and corner stores. It’s the perfect formula for elevating rates of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Find out how some communities are working to bring an oasis of nutrition to these “food deserts.”