Cause-Effect Essay
Do deep fried chicken, stinky tofu, and hot pot often trigger your appetite when you are cruising down the streets in Taiwan? Taiwanese cuisines usually emphasize oily, spicy, or salty flavors and culinary methods. They may seem attractive and appetizing, but how many risks are behind these delicacies? The following passage is going to point out three negative effects: Obesity, hyperlipidemia, and cancer, which are behind the Taiwanese food culture.
First, obesity is the most common problem, there are many remarkable culinary factors that influence Taiwanese food and make them mouth-watering. When it comes to cooking techniques, deep-fry does play an essential role in Taiwanese food culture. This technique refines the original ingredients of deep-fried chicken, stinky tofu, and scallion pancake, and meanwhile makes them addictive. Despite their delicacy, this oily culinary method and calorie-rich ingredients may lead to health problems, obesity is undoubtedly in the first place; according to the report from Taipei Times, the obesity rate of Taiwanese is 47.9 percent in 2021. Therefore, obesity is indeed a serious problem we are facing.
Into the bargain, here comes the hyperlipidemia, it shares similar causes with obesity. It is the result of having too many fats or also known as lipids in our blood. Someone calls it high cholesterol as well. Hyperlipidemia can lead to severe complications like stroke, heart blockage, and acute pancreatitis. Many people die from these kinds of diseases, according to the data from Department of Health, New Taipei City, there are ninety-three people out of one hundred thousand people die from hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemia mainly kills people by hardening and narrowing the diameter of blood vessels, then increasing blood flow resistance, making it easier to be blocked, and this could be deadly.
Speaking of the third one, people who are addicted to Taiwanese foods should also beware of the risk of getting cancer. Typical Taiwanese culinary techniques like stir-fry, deep-fry and sauté produce cooking odors and smoke, which are harmful to our lungs and bronchi. There are some restaurants which do not take this that serious, therefore the consequences of getting lung cancer and bronchi cancer can be quite severe. Thus, the choice and installation of quality range hoods are essential. They can vent away cooking odors and filter out smokes, it helps a lot not only on reducing the harm causes on human lungs and bronchi, but also the environment. Furthermore, the oily and spicy seasoning of Taiwanese foods can escalate the risk of getting colorectal cancer as well. spicy hot pot, deep-fried chicken and stir-fried foods are harmful to our intestines and stomach, if we have them way too frequently, the risk of getting stomach cancer and colorectal cancer may increase.
Taiwanese foods rely on oily, spicy, and salty cooking techniques and seasoning techniques, though these factors make them mouth-watering, we may still beware of the health issues behind them, such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, and caner. Nowadays people pay more and more attention on eating healthier. Taiwanese food culture must catch the balance between its flavorsome uniqueness and the wholesome state.
References
[1] Chiu, T.-J. (2021, July 30). Obesity on the rise due to lifestyle changes: Doctor. Taipei Times. https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2021/07/31/2003761772
[2] 新北市政府衛生局 會計室. (n.d.). 109 年男、女性心血管疾病之分析. https://www.health.ntpc.gov.tw/archive/file/109%E5%B9%B4%E7%94%B7%E3%80%81%E5%A5%B3%E6%80%A7%E5%BF%83%E8%A1%80%E7%AE%A1%E7%96%BE%E7%97%85%E4%B9%8B%E5%88%86%E6%9E%90.pdf