The growing trend of fast or junk food is a good source to make money in Islamabad, but at the cost of citizens’ health. And the Increasing number of fast food outlets in every nook and corner of the federal capital clearly indicates how our youth is turning towards the unhealthy trend. One having junk food daily seemingly never think what does it contain and about its nutritional value. In fact, they are not bothered about the ingredients. Shamim Akhtar, a housewife, while talking to Pakistan Today complained, “My 20-year-old son Hamza waste a lot of money on junk food daily as he doesn’t like vegetables and grains cooked at home. I can’t always cook meat as we need a balance diet for a healthy life.”
According to the perturbed mother, her son studies in a college and she cannot keep a check on him, but she try her best to motivate him towards healthy and home-cooked food. She said the ingredients present in junk food were considered unhealthy when regularly eaten, and her son got ill whenever there was a sudden change in weather as his immunity system was weak. However Zubair Ahad, a student who was having zinger burger at a fast food outlet in Jinnah Super Market, was of the view that the junk food was delicious, tantalising and definitely irresistible. The great taste of burger and chicken roll paratha influences thousands of other boys like him who opt for junk food. “It’s not only me who is addicted to this sort of food but my family members also cannot resist eating the food at various cafes,” he said with a watery mouth.
Zaheer Hassan, a sales boy at a fast food chain in Jinnah Super Market was of the opinion that a large number of costumers, with a majority of youngsters, visited the place from offices and educational institutions on lunch time.
He said there were five to six other outlets as well and all of them were doing good business, “We clean all utensils properly and use good oil while preparing food,” he claimed but refused to name the oil they use in their outlet.
According to various researches, processed and pre-prepared food, which can be cooked fast and handed over to customers within no time, are eliminate hunger and taste great, but do not provide essential nutrients and eventually results in weakness and fatigue. The extravagant junk meal rich in oil also make one start feeling drowsy and fail to concentrate.
They are bulked out with pasta, breadcrumbs, corn flour, processed potato, processed egg and milk products as well as hydrogenated vegetable oil, saturated fats, gums and sugar substitutes, and then made to taste good by the addition of herbs and spices, salt, monosodium glutamate and sugars.
They also contain artificial colours and preservatives as well as some artificial flavouring just to complete the unhealthy package.
Dr Waseem Khawaja from PIMS told this scribe that constant use of junk food resulted in a drop in blood circulation due to fat accumulation. “It results in lack of vital oxygen, nutrients and proteins that can stale your grey (brain) cells temporarily leading to poor concentration.”
“The impact to health from fast food is quite staggering when it is consumed on a regular basis. By replacing fresh wholesome food with processed additive-laden food, blood pressure rise, cholesterol level increases, retard metabolic rate and also weaken immunity system which is very important,” Dr Waseem said.
VERY GOOD ADVICE
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