Fast food chains

Fast food is food which is prepared and served quickly at outlets called fast-food restaurants. It is a multi-billion dollar industry which continues to rapidly grow in many countries, as fewer people are eating at home. Ten years ago, they were practically unheard of by most of people. Nowadays their attitude to fast food has been completely changed not only in loads of conutries, but especially in the USA, the source of most of its innovation, where fast food restaurants are extremely popular. Despite the fact that previously it was considered to be very good and trendy, today youths are a lil bit more sceptic and somehow try to reduce the amount of such kind of food eaten every day. So I shall analize this topic carefully within USA.

One major advantage (as its name points at) is that is pretty fast. In the USA loads of people do not have enough time to prepare meals and wash up. They are too busy and the only way to satisfy their hunger are fast food chains, where most of meals are self-made which seems to be very important for not only buissnesmen, but also for students.

Secondly, its availability is an important issue as well. In the USA, Mc Donald's tend to be located outside the centres of towns. They are usually found on the main roads leading in and out of town. On toll-free highways there are no service areas in the USA so the highway traffic uses the same services such as restaurants and gas stations as the people in each town. Consequently, there is no problem with finding fast food restaurants.

However, the cooking method is partly responsible for the food's unhealthyness. Fast food is commonly deep fried, and thereby contains more fat and calories. The cooking oil used to fry the food contains trans fats which are damaging to the heart. As a result, it may lead to many diseases, for instance obesity. That's why loads of people in the USA are getting fatter and fatter.

After this, fast food may contain unwanted chemical additives hidden and lack proper labelling, which are damaging to the heart. Eating so many calories is really harmful and unhealthy, it might be dangerous to the human body. Especially one's immune system may not work normally due to of lacks of necessary vitamins.

On balance, because of its convenience, fast food is popular in the USA and commercially successful in most modern societies, but it is often criticized for leading to obesity. Fast food portions are usually larger than the amount one should consume in a serving, so in my opinion eating in Mc Donald's should be limited as much as possible.

Fast food is not healthy?

Do you think that fast food is good for our health? Many people eat fast food and they don't know haw that food affects their health and life. People know too little about the properties and results of eating fast food. We should know something about products that we want to eat.
First of all at many fast food restaurants a single meal gives a disproportionate share of recommended daily intake of fat cholesterol salt and sugar. We shouldn't eat fast food because the meals don't contain elements which are needed for life.
Furthermore around the world traditional diets and recipes are yielding to sodas, burgers and other highly processed items that are high in fat sugar and salt-fuelling a global epidemic of obesity diabetas and other chronic illnesses.
On the other hand if we haven't time so as cook at home we may buy fast food because it's cheap quick and heavily promoted.
In conclusion fast food is not healthy but if we eat cautiously between whiles we may be quiet everything will be OK. The little quantums of fast food shouldn't harm us. We should care about our health. As Ralph Waldo Emerson says: "The first wealth is health".

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa is an illness that mainly affects adolescent girls. The most common features are loss of weight and a change in behavior. The weight loss may become severe and life threatening. The personality changes will be those of increasing seriousness and introversion and an increasing tendency to become obsessional. She will usually begin to lose contact with her friends. She will regress and appear to lose confidence. She may become less assertive, less argumentative and more dependant.

Those people who intentionally starve themselves suffer from an eating disorder called anorexia nervosa. The disorder, which usually begins in young people around the time of puberty, involves extreme weight loss; at least 15 percent below the individual's normal body weight.� Typical symptoms are:


The patient will not maintain a minimum body weight (for example, 85% of expected weight for height
����� and age).

Despite being underweight, the patient intensely fears becoming fat.

Self-perception of the body is abnormal, shown by at least 1 of:

* Unduly emphasizes weight or shape in self-evaluation
* Denies seriousness of low weight
* Has a distorted perception of own body shape or weight

Due to weight loss, a female patient has missed at least 3 consecutive periods (or periods
���� occur only� when she is given hormones).

Potential medical complications�

Dry skin, hypothermia, bradycardia, hypertension, dependent edema, anemia, lanugo, infertility, osteoporosis, cardiac failure, and death (most commonly results from starvation, suicide, or electrolyte imbalances).

Associated Features�

Depressed Mood
Somatic or Sexual Dysfunction
Guilt or Obsession
Anxious or Fearful or Dependent Personality

�

Differential Diagnosis�

Some disorders display similar or sometimes even the same symptom. The clinician, therefore, in his diagnostic attempt has to differentiate against the following disorders which one needs to be ruled out to establish a precise diagnosis.

General medical conditions
Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome
Major Depressive Disorder
Schizophrenia
Social Phobia
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Bulimia Nervosa

�

Cause:

The self esteem of individuals with eating disorders is directly related to their body shape, weight, and management of food. Eating disorders often lead to diminished concentration and attention leaving one less able to focus on academic course work. Preoccupation with food and body image result in feelings of anxiety which may also interfere with daily functioning. In severe cases medical problems may arise such as hypertension, dental enamel erosion, malnutrition, impaired renal functioning, electrolyte imbalance, and cardiovascular problems which require medical attention and possible hospitalization.

�

Treatment:

Counseling and Psychotherapy [ See Therapy Section ]:

Psychotherapeutic interventions may include individual or group therapy modalities. Often simply beginning a course of treatment will result in a feeling of relief at no longer having to keep such an important part of one's life a secret. The focus of psychotherapy is often on improving self-esteem, but may be supplemented with nutrition education, discussions of eating habits, exploration of the role that food and eating play in one's life and underlying family and interpersonal dynamics.

There are a number of treatment options available according to the symptoms shown:

Inpatient:

Indications for hospitalization may include any of the following:

* Patient's weight less than or equal to 70% of ideal body weight.
* Persistent suicidal ideation.
* Need for withdrawal from laxatives, diet pills, or diuretics.
* Failure of outpatient treatment.

�

Outpatient:

The combination of medical, psychological, and educational treatments can be effective on an outpatient basis. Occasionally, a person with anorexia nervosa whose weight is dangerously low, or a person with bulimia who is out of control may require temporary hospitalization. It is important to seek professional treatment as quickly as possible. Treat the medical complications of starvation.

Nutritional counseling to establish a balanced diet, an expected rate of weight gain (up to 2 lbs. per week), and a final goal weight.

Use behavioral techniques to reward weight gain.

Individual and group cognitive therapy to alter anorexic attitudes, enhance autonomy, and improve
self-esteem.

Family therapy may also be useful.

Treat any associated mood disorder.

Treatment options are best discussed with the general practitioner who will be able to advise if specialist help is needed. Another source of unbiased advice is the Eating Disorders Association. Some regions have good N.H.S. facilities but many do not or have long waiting lists. Some private clinics also have well developed eating disorder units, but quality varies and costs are often high making medical insurance necessary for many. Sometimes the N.H.S. will pay for private treatment where there are no suitable N.H.S. facilities and these options can be explored by the clinic with the assistance of the local doctor.

---