Fast Food and Obesity

Fast food gets a lot of bad press.
The fast food firms naturally claim that there's nothing wrong with their product. (Hmm, do you remember the cigarette manufacturers saying the same thing a number of years ago?)
Dietitians tell you to avoid fast food at all costs.
The film "Supersize Me" presented a dramatic vision of eating too much fast food.
So who's right?
Well, all the above are right in some respects.
Eaten occasionally, fast food won't harm you. So the fast food firms are correct. It's a bit like the warning on the diet advert "Can only help aid weight loss as part of a controlled diet". Eating fast food for breakfast, lunch and evening meals isn't the healthiest eating plan. Eating a burger once in a while instead of skipping a meal because you're in a rush won't be the end of civilization as we know it.
So it's all down to that nasty word "moderation".
Eating fast food in moderation almost certainly won't cause you to become obese.
There are other ways to combat the effects of too much fast food.
Try drinking a glass of water about 30 minutes before you plan to eat. You'll feel fuller, so ordering less and leaving some food won't seem like a hardship.
Do some exercise. You don't need to go to the gym to exercise if you don't want to. Walking is a good aerobic exercise. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Leave the car at home if it's a short journey. Even parking further away from the entrance to the mall will help. If possible, use a pedometer to keep track of your progress - it's often said that if we monitor something, it will happen. Maybe have a competition with your friends to see how much you can each increase your walking next week.
Eat slowly. Notice when you are feeling full and then take action on noticing by stopping eating. This gets easier the more you practice.