“Hi, can I take your order?” “Sure, let me get a cup of artificially flavored sugar, a bag of crunchy fat, and a heart plug.” Everywhere you turn you see a McDonald's, a Burger King or a Wendy's. Eric Scholosser There are more fast food restaurants in America than actual grocery stores! Fast food has become a craze in recent times. Everyone eats it, even little kids, but do you really know what you're eating? There's a ninety-five percent chance he won't. Everyone is guilty of buying fast food, and many don't even know the side effects that accompany the purchase. The food we consider “fast” and “easy” are the same foods that kill people every day. While consuming “fast food” is convenient and can save money, it can also cause serious health problems including high blood pressure, weight gain, and an increased chance of heart disease. This article will evaluate the effects of fast food on its consumers. Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries as it circulates through the body. This can be too high or too low. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), today in America approximately one in three US adults – 31.3% – suffer from hypertension. High blood pressure is caused by a variety of factors, from sodium and fat intake to smoking and alcohol consumption. Americans today get an excessive intake of sodium and fat by regularly eating fast food restaurants. “High blood pressure can cause atherosclerosis and kidney and heart failure, to name a few” (Aiden). Fast food can cause hypertension, but that's not the only effect it has on the human body. With fast food outlets like McDonald's on every corner weight gain is a... middle of paper... .s why I myself am guilty of purchasing and consuming these meals. Yes, these meals are often fatty and high in salt or sugar, but keep in mind that anything, when eaten in moderation, is fine for the average human being. The way society is going, moderation is the way to go. Heed my advice. Works Cited Aiden, Anton. “High Blood Pressure Effects from Fast Food.” Live strong. October 19, 2010. 24-34.Carey, Rita E. “Obesity Epidemic Poses Global Health Threat.” Green Haven Press, October 2006CDC.GOV. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionKFC.comLinklater, Richard, dir. Fast Food Nation. Fox searchlight productions, 2006. DVDSimon, Michele "Even 'healthy' choices at fast-food restaurants are unhealthy." Fast food. Espejo Romano, ed. At the series of numbers. Green Haven Press, 2004.DVD