The growing affordability of fast food is becoming prevalent in many parts of the world. I believe that the drawbacks of the ubiquity of convenience food outweigh the benefits it offers because although it proves to be an easily affordable food choice for lower-income families, these foods cause severe damage to health.
The main advantage of this phenomenon is the accessibility and convenience. The economical fast food makes it easily accessible to a generous portion of the population, especially those with meagre earnings. This, in fact, offers lower-income households an economy and convenient meal options, particularly those who lack access to costly food choices or face time constraints on home meal preparation. Single parents, for example, may seem it is highly convenient and economical to resort to a prompt and cost-effective fast food meal for their family after a hectic day.
One considerable drawback of the affordability and prevalence of convenience food is that it can negatively impact health. The prevalent and affordable nature of junk food tends to drive individuals to frequent intake, thereby causing detrimental effects on health. This means that regular intake of fast food poses a grave risk of various diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. A study conducted in India revealed that regularly consuming fast food could have a negative effect on insulin sensitivity, and therefore poses an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Fast food has also been proven to be the underlying cause of various mental diseases, including insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
To conclude, although it is a good thing that lower-income groups have easy access to affordable meal options, I think the diseases caused by consuming fast food frequently prove to be much more disadvantageous for individuals.