'Fast food' is a fact of life. The Swiss Association for Nutrition reviews here the problems connected with fast foods, and gives helpful advice for those who are obliged to eat them from time to time.

Fast food as a sign of the times

The concept of fast food isn't new. Early in the 19th century, at the start of the Industrial Age when people had to work 12 to 14 hours a day, there was scarcely any time for long breaks for eating. The first snack bars and kiosks arose in front of factories. Today, quick meals outside the home have become an essential part of our lifestyle. The success of fast foods arose from the changes in our living conditions:

• Many women or both parents now work
• There are increased numbers of single-parent households
• Long distances to school and work are common
• Usually, lunch times are short

There's often not enough time or opportunity to shop carefully for groceries, or to cook and eat with one's family. Especially on weekdays, fast food outside the home is the only solution. Today, only 40% of young college-age people eat lunch at home. Chiefly, but not exclusively, teenagers and young adults use fast food facilities when they need to catch a bite on the go. According to studies, 66% of young men and 33% of women in Switzerland eat one to two hamburgers a week, and half the teenagers eat French-fries once a week. The large chains have pulled out all the stops of modern marketing, targeting primarily young consumers. They entice their potential customers with TV spots, children's parties, gifts for small children, and an ambiance that is generally child- and teenager-friendly. Large distributors, bakers and butchers, snack bars, and so on, also exploit the fast food trend and offer more take-out products. It's obvious that these campaigns are at the expense of traditional home dining culture. Experts have coined the term "McDonaldization" to describe this phenomenon.

What is fast food?

The term "fast food" means just that. However, the boundary between fast foods and traditional dishes is fluid. In particular, it's difficult to provide a qualitative distinction because fast foods can also include salads and fruit in addition to classic offerings such as hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, French-fries, fish and chips, etc. The best way to distinguish fast foods is to use formal characteristics:

• Time required - those who eat fast foods do not want to spend a lot of time selecting and eating, and if necessary will eat standing or walking, on the bus, park bench, or at work.
• The variety of foods and beverages is usually very limited
• Fast food frequently does not come with knives and forks, making it "finger food."
• When silverware, cups and plates are necessary, they are disposable.

The characteristics of fast food, therefore, are that they require little time, offer a limited selection, are finger food, and the silverware and plates are disposable. These characteristics readily illustrate the difference from traditional dining culture.

Many people equate fast foods with convenience foods. This is incorrect since convenience products are often eaten at home. They require active participation because they must be heated, stirred, baked, thawed, etc., and are supplemented with other foods.

There are three general categories of fast food businesses:

• Self-service restaurants with a fast-food palette like McDonalds, Wendy's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, etc.
• Take-out (or take-away) businesses that sell ready-to-eat foods and beverages "on the street corner"
• Hot-dog stands and snack stands with counters or a pair of stand-up tables.

Fast food - bad or good?

Just as there are no "good" or "bad" foods, the accusation that fast foods are generally poor in quality does not stand scrutiny. Large fast food chains are subject to strict regulations and inspections concerning the nutritional composition of their product line and hygiene. In recent years, established fast food chains have been subject to increasing competition from a wide range of small and one-man operations that generally prepare their limited menu fresh daily. According to the reports of food inspectors, the ingredients of these businesses are usually fresh, and their hygiene is no worse than that of traditional restaurants or cafes. Most problems arise with the obligatory declaration of origin of the ingredients they use.

Consumers can enjoy the increasing multicultural competition to the conventional hot-dog stands or hamburger restaurants; shish kebab, tortillas or sushi, Greek, Turkish, Thai, Chinese or Indian foods are on the march. This is a welcome development since the wide palette of ethnic foods offers a more varied selection, at least in populous regions and cities. Wherever there is a dearth of international offerings, fast foods can always be livened up with local salads or a fruit.

Problematic eating habits

This basic positive evaluation does not diminish the fact that fast foods can be problematic in regard to health. Usually fast foods mean that you are purchasing your food without reflection and with little effort. You buy what you see or what is offered. Conscientious menu planning and specific selection of foods doesn't occur. The body's signals of hunger and thirst are also secondary. The result is that you drink and eat with too little enjoyment and attention, and chew too quickly and insufficiently. The time of eating and the portion sizes are more or less random. The main thing is to get something in your stomach. In contrast to traditional dining culture, there is no anticipation of a thoughtful selection or the enjoyment of eating carefully prepared and selected foods, with wonderful smells, without time pressure, and free of a stress-filled atmosphere.

Meal composition

Eating fast foods with little thought can lead to overeating and unbalanced eating.

• There is a problem with the frequently large amount of fat and salt in French- fries with mayonnaise, fish & chips, chicken nuggets, hot-dogs, salami, cheese bread, shish kebab, etc. For this reason, select whenever possible low-fat foods such as salad plates, tortillas with vegetable filling, whole-grain sandwiches with dry meat, noodles with chicken and vegetables, etc.
• Many selections contain no, or insufficient, fruits and vegetables (the pickle in hamburgers don't count). Protective substances such as vitamins and trace elements are often missing. The "5-a-day" rule should also apply - especially! - to fast foods.
• Sandwiches, croissants, hot-dogs, rice or pasta side-dishes, etc. almost always contain refined products only; there's not enough healthy 'ballast'. So use whole-grain products if possible.
• Sweetened drinks (cola, ice tea, etc.) or beer usually accompany fast foods. They supply unnecessary calories in the form of sugar or alcohol. Mineral water, tap water, tea or unsweetened fruit juices are better.

Health consequences

It would be wrong to blame fast foods exclusively for the malnutrition of young people that is causing alarm today. However, fast foods can accelerate bad trends:

• 15% to 30% of children do not eat breakfast or a midday snack. Those that eat repetitive fare at lunch or even in the evening increase their risk of not getting enough essential nutrients.
• A direct consequence of unbalanced, fat-rich food low in nutritive fibers can be constipation and reflux (heartburn).
• Over the long-term, frequently eating fat-rich fast foods promotes obesity. In recent years, children of both sexes have experienced an increase in weight-related problems. Today, the percentage of overweight children is 22%. In adults, current studies reveal that 32% of males and 19% of females are overweight. Approximately 5% of the population is seriously overweight (obese). [These figures are based on European data; the situation is more severe in the USA. Editor]
• Weight problems and insufficient nutrition are related to many health risks that can surface in later life as "diseases of civilization" (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, certain forms of cancer, and high blood pressure).

Unfortunately the increasing widespread decline in physical activity in our society contributes to these risks. Children are also increasingly inactive these days.

Consequences for the environment

Glasses, silverware, plates and cloth napkins are never provided with fast food. Instead, paper plates and napkins, polyurethane containers, plastic cups and tableware, drinking cartons or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles are used, and these are all disposable. Many of these items are tossed in the garbage instead of being recycled, or even worse, merely thrown on the ground. This burdens nature unnecessarily and squanders raw materials.

Fast food checklist

Many people cannot get by without fast foods due to their life situation. However, you can eat a healthy and balanced diet if you observe a few simple rules:

• Fast food does not necessarily mean that you don't plan beforehand and take time for eating. Think about what you want to eat while driving to work or on a break. At the restaurant, evaluate the foods and beverages and select them consciously, and at least sit down when you are eating and enjoy it.
• If you must eat fast foods, then at least go for variety. Try multicultural dishes and don't eat the same thing every day.
• Food: Try low-fat varieties and if possible add vegetables, salad, fruit or whole-grain products - "5-a-day" is essential, even with fast foods.
• Drink: Favor mineral water, unsweetened fruit juices, or tea. Sugared soft drinks (colas, ice tea, etc.) provide unnecessary calories. Alcoholic drinks are not recommended, especially during the day.
• When you frequently eat fast foods, you should intentionally supplement other meals: breakfast with milk products, fruits and granola; snacks and main meals with fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products.

Consumers of fast foods and take-out foods are subject to the same nutritional requirements as everyone else.

Source

Schweizerische Vereinigung für Ernährung / The Swiss Association for Nutrition (SAN). Merkblätter zur Ernährung, Vol. II. Main Editor: Herr Hansjörg Ryser, Bern.Website at : http://www.sve.org/english/index.html

Links

• Convenience Foods
• Cereal Fiber Tied to Better Heart Health
• Variety is the Key to a Good Diet