IT is no secret that today's generation prefers to eat their meals outside at fast food restaurants despite the fact that most Saudi families have large, well-stocked kitchens. The demand for food on the go has resulted in fast food restaurants sprouting up all over the Kingdom's regions. Most malls have large food courts where one will be hard pressed to not find something within their preference of cuisine, local or international. Al-Riyadh daily reports on the rise of fast food culture in the Kingdom and its dark side: the health risks including diabetes and obesity associated with the consumption of fast food. Sarah Abdullah has a full-time job and does not have a lot of time to cook at home and so she prefers to grab something quickly at any of the restaurants near her home or place of work. She loves to try new restaurants and dishes on the weekends, something made possible by the sheer number of new restaurants opening in the Kingdom's capital. College student Nouf Abdulrahman said she only eats out at restaurants that offer healthy options such as Sushi. As a student, she finds it hard to cook healthy food at home, but admitted eating out is expensive. "I spend half of my monthly stipend I receive as a college student on eating out," she said. Lamya Al-Braheem, a specialist in nutrition and quality system management, said most families nowadays go to restaurants because they do not have time to cook. "My teenage children do not like home-made food and prefer fast food instead. I think they like it because it is full of fat and tastes more delicious. In fact, when I was their age, I also liked to eat out. A falafel sandwich or a hamburger would fill me up quickly," she explained. Al-Braheem conducted a questionnaire on the issue and asked many Saudis and non-Saudis about the reasons why they liked to eat out. The questions were asked on social media websites. One of the main reasons respondents gave for eating out was the superior taste and smell of food cooked at restaurants. Another was time. Most respondents agreed that they do not have time to cook at home due to work or study commitments. The third reason was prestige; many families prefer to eat at fancy restaurants so they can brag about it in front of their friends. Over 90 percent of respondents said they will only eat out at a well-known restaurant. Al-Braheem called on the media to publish more informative articles about the risks of eating out and the dangers of fast food on public health. "Newspapers should interview nutritionists and health experts and have them talk about the importance of home-cooked food in order to raise public awareness about the great health benefits of food cooked at home," she said. Not everyone is sold on the idea of fast food. Amal Muhammad, a school teacher, said even though her job is time-consuming, she still manages to find time to cook for her family. "Food cooked at restaurants is full of calories and can be harmful to our health," she said. Maha Al-Dalilan said she does not eat out because of the poor hygiene observed by most restaurants. "Every day we read news about health inspectors destroying rotten food at restaurants. It is getting increasingly dangerous to eat out nowadays as the chances of you getting poisoned are high," she said.
