The Effects of Fast Food on the Body: Why Active Police Officers Must Remain in Shape.

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The Effects of Fast Food on the Body: Why Active Police officers must remain in shape.
Many Americans have consumed fast food at least once in their lifetime, whether it is McDonalds or Taco Bell, Chipotle or Subway. Fast food can often times be the only readily available alternative food source in the busy everyday lives of the average American citizen. According to the Pew Research Center, on a daily basis 50 million Americans are served in fast food restaurants such as McDonalds or Taco Bell (Pew Research Center, 2014). That means 1 out of every 19 Americans eat fast food on an everyday basis. Over consuming fast food or eating it too often can lead to many mental and health problems such as depression, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and more. Police officers, who are often on the go and unable to find time to sit down to a homemade meal, are affected by consuming fast food in various ways because they must stay in mental and physical shape in order to perform well in their field. Many police officers begin to deteriorate after they join the force due to no enforcement of physical fitness. Overconsumption of fast food can lead to unhealthy officers in the police force and in the general population overall.
Fast food restaurants in America can be located on almost every street corner in almost every city. The enticing aroma of a burger and fries can be found at several locations in nearly every city, town, or suburb. According to Alaina Mcconnel, the 5 most popular fast food restaurants of 2011 are McDonalds, Subway, Starbucks, Wendy’s and Burger King (Mcconnell, A., & Bhasin, K., 2012). Fast food joints have a ruthless history of being fattening, greasy, and unhealthy with films like Super-Size me and Food Inc. giving the...

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...ne 6). Police Chief Magazine - View Article. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=1516&issue_id=62008
Harvard Mental Health Letter (2012, February). Why stress causes people to overeat - Harvard Health Publications. Retrieved April 23, 2014, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Mental_Health_Letter/2012/February/why-stress-causes-people-to-overeat
Timmons, B. (2014). Physical Qualifications to Be a Police Officer | Everyday Life - Global Post. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/physical-qualifications-police-officer-1444.html
Arizona Department of Public Safety (2014). Physical Fitness Requirements : Officer Information - Arizona Department of Public Safety. Retrieved May 4, 14, from http://www.azdps.gov/careers/Officers/Physical_Fitness/

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