Fast Food Giants Lied and They're Destroying Your Health
Written by Beth Levis, Founder and CEO
Beth Levis is the founder of By Beth, a premium bovine collagen brand focused on skin health, gut health & vitality. With a background in retail & manufacturing, she transitioned to beauty after uncovering the powerful connection between gut health, skin & energy. She also hosts the With Beth podcast and YouTube channel, educating women on wellness.
Over 50% of meals are now eaten outside the home, and fast food plays a starring role. But this isn’t just about greasy fries or extra calories. Fast food is wrecking your gut, hijacking your brain, and harming your kids’ future. The truth? Fast food giants have been lying to us and they’re profiting from our pain.
The hidden damage
You think it’s just junk food, but what you’re really consuming is a system: one engineered to make you sick, tired, and addicted. Fast food is ultra-processed, loaded with sugar, industrial oils, and chemicals designed to keep you craving more. It’s cheap fuel with a steep cost: chronic disease, fatigue, mental health decline, and long-term gut damage.
The science they don’t want you to know
A BMJ study found that 60% of the Western diet is made up of ultra-processed foods, with fast food giants leading the charge.
Regular fast food consumption is tied to a 50% higher risk of death from heart disease (University of Minnesota).
People who eat fast food are 51% more likely to suffer from depression (Public Health Nutrition).
Fast food and your gut
These meals break down your gut lining, kill off good bacteria, and lead to leaky gut and inflammation. This affects everything from mood to immunity to energy. Chronic bloating, brain fog, and fatigue? They often start in the gut.
Hormonal chaos
Fast food spikes blood sugar and crashes it, overloading your insulin response. The result? Cravings, fat storage, and hormonal chaos. Add in endocrine-disrupting packaging (PFAS, BPA, phthalates), and you’ve got a recipe for imbalances in estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, and more.
Our children are the target
Fast food marketing to kids is strategic. It’s designed to create lifelong customers by rewiring dopamine responses and dulling taste buds. The cost? Increased ADHD, learning issues, childhood obesity, and early-onset chronic illness. One in four Australian kids is overweight or obese.
The environmental cost
Behind every cheap burger is a supply chain of deforestation, factory farming, and plastic pollution. In Queensland alone, over 680,000 hectares of bushland were cleared between 2018 and 2021—much of it for fast food meat.
You are not broken
This isn’t about shame. You’re not lazy or weak, you’re targeted. These corporations use science to manipulate behavior and blame you for the outcome. But now that you know, you can choose differently.
Take back control
Add fermented foods to your diet for gut repair.
Eat more fiber to feed good bacteria.
Stay hydrated and reduce processed foods.
Support local food sources.
Every bite you take is a vote. For your body. Your mind. Your community. And your future. Say no to fast food giants. Say yes to your health.
Final thought
Health doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts with awareness. Small shifts in what we eat can create massive ripple effects for our minds, our children, and our planet. If this message resonated with you, share it. Let’s wake more people up to the truth hiding in plain sight.
Beth Levis, Founder and CEO
Beth Levis is the founder of By Beth, a premium bovine collagen brand dedicated to empowering women over 30 to rediscover their confidence and vitality. With a background in one of Australia's largest and most iconic fashion houses – Australia's largest clothing manufacturer – Beth spent years immersed in retail and manufacturing before shifting to beauty. Her own struggles with skin health led her to uncover the transformative power of collagen, inspiring her to create By Beth. Frustrated by the limitations of conventional beauty products, she developed supplements designed to restore skin, energy, and overall well-being from within. Through By Beth, she helps women achieve lasting radiance and confidence, redefining beauty from inside out.
