Fast Food Addiction In The Twenty-first Century
In 2013-2016, 36.6% of adults (in the United States alone) consumed fast food on a
given day.1 Fast foods are characterized buy their high content in sugar, calories and
unhealthy fats. They are highly processed meals that are often pre-made in bulk and frozen;
then sent to fast food restaurants to be unfrozen and assembled to be served to
consumers. The poor quality of the nutrition from fast food is wildly known. Yet, many
people still indulge in them. Fast food addiction is gradually becoming a highly discussed
topic in our society. The reason for this addiction is inherent in the design of the fast-food
industry, society and our brain.
Addiction is a chronic disease that affects a person’s brain. It makes the person
unable to stop using a substance or engaging in certain behaviors even when they know it
is harmful to them.2 The most common signs of addiction include, but not limited to
cravings, withdrawals and brain rewiring. These signs have been found in people with an
unnatural relationship with food. Recent studies show that daily snacking on processed
food rewires the brain reward circuits; cravings for tasty meals light up the brain just like
cocaine does. Food that are highly processed, high in calories and unsaturated fats are
associated with a high risk of addiction.3 This makes fast food the best candidate for
addiction. The side effects of consuming fast food include digestive disorders, type 2
diabetes, heart diseases, obesity and weight gain among many others.
During the industrial age, the need to have meals away from home became
rampant. Workers needed to get their nutritional needs during a short break from work. The
need for something that was cheap, convenient and filling was crucial. Hence the rise of
the fast-food industry. The main goal is to provide quick and convenient access to food and
everything else is secondary. People no longer had the time and energy to prepare
homemade meals every time. The design of drive-through restaurants allows customers to
get food without leaving their car. It saves time needed to find a parking spot, go up to the
counter and order your meal. Eating at a fast-food restaurant enables you to conserve your
energy by not cooking. You do not need to spend 2 hours at the grocery store and get home
to cook for another hour. You can get your meal ready to go in under 30 minutes and it’s not
expensive either. So, most people took the easier choice and since it’s convenient and
disregarded the consequence.
Consequently, social interactions play a significant role in perpetuating fast food
addiction within society. The number of fast-food restaurants you can find in a one-mile
Fryar and Ahluwalia, “Fast Food Consumption Among Adults in the United States, 2013–2016.”
World Health Organization, “ADDICTION.”
3
Hadi, “A Global Investigation of Emotional Eating, Hunger, and Fast Food Addiction - A Review.”
1
2
radius is proportional to how urban an area is. In this time and era, any community
gathering spot is filled with different brands of fast-food restaurants. Therefore,
overwhelming the consumer with multiple choices. From malls to hospitals, fast food
restaurants are everywhere people socialize. This is a tactic employed by restaurants to
improve their customer base and sales. The presence of restaurants in social spaces
makes people connect fast food with having a good time since social gatherings with
friends and family often revolve around fast food. Normalization of fast-food consumption
within social circles reinforces its appeal and can lead to habitual indulgence. Peer
pressure and the desire to fit in may prompt individuals to prioritize fast food over healthier
alternatives when eating with others.
Brain biology plays a significant role in aiding fast food addiction, as indicated by
research into the neurological mechanisms of this phenomenon. Studies have
demonstrated that the consumption of high-fat, high-sugar foods characteristic of fast food
can induce changes in the brain's reward system, particularly in the mesolimbic dopamine
pathway associated with pleasure and reinforcement learning.4 Activation of this pathway
by palatable foods releases dopamine, eliciting feelings of pleasure and reward. Over time,
repeated exposure to such foods can lead to neuroadaptations, reducing the brain's
responsiveness to natural rewards and heightening the craving for highly palatable foods
like fast food.5 These findings help us understand that our brains are wired to aid the
process of addiction biologically. When the brain’s chemistry is altered, it’s hard to change
it. This leads to more and more consumption of fast food which snowballs the addiction
process. The relationship between brain biology and fast-food consumption is crucial to
our understanding of the phenomenon and how to resolve it.
Addressing fast food addiction involves multiple strategies, including raising
awareness about its risks, promoting healthier alternatives, and reshaping societal norms
to prioritize wellness. By educating individuals and raising awareness about the bad effects
of fast food, we can reduce the rate of addiction. Promoting healthier alternatives and
increasing access to nutritious options can also help steer individuals away from the
allure of fast food. Policies and incentives that encourage the food industry to offer
healthier choices should be made. We should reshape societal norms to prioritize
wellness and healthy living. Overall, a collective effort is required to change the current
trend of fast-food addiction and dependency.
While the convenience and affordability of fast food have contributed to its
prevalence, the underlying factors driving addiction extend beyond convenience. Social
norms and neurological mechanisms play significant roles in aiding this phenomenon.
Despite its adverse effects, fast food has become deeply ingrained in our culture and
4
5
Volkow et al., “Obesity and Addiction.”
DiFeliceantonio and Small, “Dopamine and Diet-Induced Obesity.”
lifestyle. Addressing this issue requires raising awareness, promoting healthier choices,
and reshaping societal norms to prioritize wellness.
Bibliography
DiFeliceantonio, Alexandra G., and Dana M. Small. “Dopamine and Diet-Induced Obesity.” Nature
Neuroscience 22, no. 1 (January 2019): 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-018-0304-0.
Fryar, Cheryl D, and Namanjeet Ahluwalia. “Fast Food Consumption Among Adults in the United
States, 2013–2016,” no. 322 (2018).
Hadi, Pary. “A Global Investigation of Emotional Eating, Hunger, and Fast Food Addiction - A Review.”
NeuroQuantology 21, no. 5 (2023): 1291–99. https://doi.org/10.48047/nq.2023.21.5.NQ222119.
Volkow, N. D., G.-J. Wang, D. Tomasi, and R. D. Baler. “Obesity and Addiction: Neurobiological Overlaps.”
Obesity Reviews 14, no. 1 (2013): 2–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2012.01031.x.
World Health Organization. “ADDICTION.” World Health Organization, 2019. JSTOR.
http://www.jstor.org.qe2a-proxy.mun.ca/stable/resrep44637.