A recent survey by Reuters revealed that Kenya’s slum residents prefer junk food because such foods reflected a higher socioeconomic status. The survey further revealed that this inspiration is linked to a combination of clever marketing, celebrity culture and social media frenzy around global fast food outlets opening in Kenya. Realising the nutritional value of what one eats ought to inform one’s understanding of whether they need to eat it or not. While this should be the case, 75 percent of adults in low and middle-income countries, such as Kenyan, consume less than the minimum recommended quantity of a healthy meal.
Fast or junk food is that which is prepared from precooked or preheated ingredients and packed to be sold in restaurants or stores, the food is easily and quickly prepared. Fast foods are known to have a high content of salt, sugar or fat but very low in nutritional value. Some of the well-known fast foods include; ice cream, burgers, candy, French fries (locally referred to as chips), hotdogs and pizza.
You can agree with me that fast foods are not only tasty but also delicious! The busy and demanding Nairobi life forces us to consume junk food at a higher rate than we can count. Have you ever asked yourself the damage you doing to your body in the name of having such a lifestyle? Think of cardiovascular disorders, obesity, nutritional deficiencies and high cholesterol levels. If these make your skin have goose bumps, then it is time to rethink what you consume as food. Scientific evidence reveals that consuming at least five portions of fruits and vegetables a day can prolong one’s life and reduce the risk of developing non-communicable diseases such as cancer.
The rapid growth of consumption of fast foods is mainly dictated by three main factors. One, in a demanding society where time is of the essence, fast foods are convenient. Preparation of a decent healthy meal requires time, junk food is quick and easy to make and easily accessible. Take a walk in any local slum or highly populated estate, junk food vendors tend to scattered everywhere. Second, the media plays a crucial role through advertisement of the fast foods, internet pop-ups, televisions and vending machines have a lead role as they are used more by fast food marketers to appeal to the audience and have a market. Third, personal discipline with a practice of self-control is overpowered by our desire to conform to social norms. As noted earlier in the post, Kenya slum dwellers prefer junk food because it reflects a higher socioeconomic status.
Irrespective of where you reside in this planet, there are socially shared problems and junk food is one. I am a culprit of junk food but am slowly changing my diet, it is hard to keep discipline, though. Having weighed the effects of fast foods, one has particularly caught my attention; accumulation of cholesterol in the body that results in thickening and clogging of arteries causing congestion of blood vessels. This obstructs normal blood flow and can cause heart failure. Thus, there is so much information available in various platforms one being spreading the right food message where the highlights of contaminated fruits and vegetables are put into perspective.
In conclusion, the nutritional value of what we get from consuming fast foods is damaging to the body. Choose your foods with caution, take some time to the market where you can get varieties of foods, fruits and vegetables that are of higher nutritional value and save yourself from heart failure due to clogged arteries!
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