Many claim that the fast food industry has a negative effect on the environment, eating habits, and families.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

REAL IELTS EXAM QUESTION, REPORTED ON 28 OCTOBER, 2021

It is argued that the booming fast food industry is affecting the nature, dietary pattern and familial bonds adversely. I too feel the same.

From the environmental perspective, the worst issue which appears to be tangible is pollution. To be clearer, there are numerous fast food outlets which supply packed food in attractive boxes for the convenience of the customers, who mostly prefer take-away, and this results in improper waste disposal. Another issue is that this food chain needs a huge amount of synthetic materials, which have to be produced on a commercial basis. Here too environmental interests are compromised.

Among the effects on the dietary habit, the first is the threat of lifestyle diseases. To explain it further, in most fast foods, high contents of fat and carbohydrates are present for taste enrichment. This makes the physical health of the person who consumes it regularly at risk. For example, obesity, heart attack and cancer are seen very common among these people. As these foods are available mostly at night, people have these at late night or even in the early morning. This too has detrimental effects on their health.

Finally, from the perspective of a family, the fast food culture is a curse as it often denies them the opportunity to spend their quality time together at home. In the past, family members cooked at home, and ate at their own homes. For most of them, this time was so special that they could discuss their problems, opinions and suggestions. As fast food culture became popular, these opportunities became specific to specific occasions.

To conclude, undoubtedly one can say that the widespread popularity of fast food is making its negative impact on personal health, familial relations and the environment.

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