5 Reasons Why You Should Limit Fast Food Intake of Your Kids
posted on Nov 03, 2022
Let us begin with a very simple question – What do you think your kids like the most to eat? We know some of the most common answers would be Pizza, Burgers, French Fries, Instant Noodles, etc. But what do these food items have in common? All of them fall in the category of Fast Food!
First, let’s get this out of the way, fast food tastes good, and it’s understandable why kids love it so much. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s unhealthy! Too much consumption may lead to many health complications in the long run. The worst fate a parent can suffer is when they see their children deteriorate due to health issues. Lest it becomes permanent, you should take the necessary steps to stop this from ever happening. As responsible parents, it is necessary to ensure that you reign in their appetite for fast food and promote food that benefits them.
In this article today, we at Gurukul The School, best school in Ghaziabad, will give you five strong reasons why you should consider our advice.
Fast food is one of the primary causes of obesity worldwide, especially for kids. It contains too much fat, salt, and sugar, thus making it an unbalanced meal. It lacks important nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc., that children need to grow and develop properly. Remember, obesity affects millions each year. It results in heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. So, you must ensure that your kids don’t gain unnecessary weight.
- Lacks Essential Dietary Nutrients:
Fast food diets may lead to health deficiencies because they lack essential vitamins and nutrients. They are devoid of vitamin A, which is essential for eyesight and skin, and Vitamin C, which is vital for the immune system. It also lacks calcium which helps with bone growth. Let’s give you a real-life example to further elaborate on our point. We are sure you already know that your kids need three healthy meals a day or twenty-one meals a week. Now, if they have fast food five times a week, they miss out on five essential meals. Any sane person would tell you that’s not good!
Fast food contains a lot of fats and salt. The consumption of high levels of fats and salt can lead to osteoporosis in children, a condition where the children have low bone density. Additionally, since these foods contain high levels of sodium, it causes the body’s blood pressure to increase and affects bone mineralization. Fast food also contains high amounts of sugar, which causes an imbalance in blood sugar levels. This also affects bone mineralization because it creates a state where the body can’t use calcium properly.
Fast food is linked to asthma because it contains high levels of saturated fats that can cause inflammation in the airways, making breathing difficult.
A little indirect but very much a valid point to consider. There are other consequences of eating fast food besides what we can see on the surface. Long-term effects may not be visible to us at first glance. One of these effects is low self-esteem in children. Fast food has been shown to affect the mental health of children and teenagers, causing them to have lower self-esteem than their peers who eat healthier meals with more fruits and vegetables. This is because the chemicals in fast foods, such as fat and sodium, can alter mood and behavior. Moreover, those who are overweight due to consuming too much fast food tend to socialize less, which further adds to this condition, eventually leading to depression.
Finally…
Health is important! There shouldn’t be any debates or doubts about that. As such, it is vital that appropriate steps are taken in that direction. Hopefully, we at Gurukul The School, a best school in Ghaziabad, were helpful today in this regard. This article aimed to shed some light on limiting the fast-food intake of your children. We hope we’ve succeeded in that endeavor. See you in the next post!