The impact of junk food on health (2024)

Introduction

The world is currently facing oneobesityepidemic, putting people at risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Junk food can contribute to obesity, yet it becomes a part of our daily lives due to our fast-paced lifestyle. Life can be busy when you combine school, sports and hanging out with friends and family! Junk food companies make food convenient, tasty and affordable, so it has largely replaced preparing and eating healthy home-cooked meals. Junk food includes foods such as hamburgers, fried chicken and pizza from fast food restaurants, as well as packaged foods such as chips, crackers and ice cream, sugar-sweetened drinks such as soda, fatty meats such as bacon, sugary breakfast cereals and frozen meals such as lasagna. These are usually highProcessed foods, meaning that several steps were involved in making the food, with an emphasis on making it tasty and therefore easy to overeat. Unfortunately, junk food provides a lot of calories and energy, but little of the essential nutrients our bodies need to grow and be healthy, such as protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Australian teenagers aged 14 to 18 get more than 40% of their daily energy from these types of foods, which is concerning [1]. Junk food is also called junk fooddiscretionary foods, meaning they are "not necessary to meet nutritional needs and do not belong to the five food groups" [2]. According to the dietary guidelines of Australia and many other countries, these five food groups are grains and grains, vegetables and legumes, fruit, dairy and dairy products, and meat and meat alternatives.

Young people are often the target of sneaky advertising tactics by junk food companies in which our heroes and icons advertise junk food. In Australia, cricket, one of our favorite sports, is sponsored by a major fast food brand. These are top athletes such as cricket playersdoesn'tburn their bodies with fried chicken, burgers and fries! A study found that young people aged 12 to 17 see more than 14.4 million food advertisem*nts on popular websites in one year, with cakes, cookies and ice cream being the most commonly advertised products [3]. Another study of YouTube videos popular with children reported that 38% of all ads were about food or drinks, and 56% of those food ads were about junk food [4].

What happens to our bodies shortly after we eat junk food?

Food consists of three major nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Food also contains vitamins and minerals that support good health, growth and development. It is very important to get the right nutrition during our teen years. But when we eat junk food, we consume large amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which are quickly absorbed by the body.

Let's take the example of eating a hamburger. A burger usually contains carbohydrates from the bun, proteins and fats from the beef and fat from the cheese and sauce. On average, a burger from a fast food chain contains 36-40% of your daily energy needs, and this does not take into account any chips or drinks consumed with it (Figure 1). This is a large amount of food for the body to digest - not good when you're about to step onto the cricket field!

A few hours to a few days after eating rich, heavy foods like a hamburger, unpleasant symptoms such as fatigue, poor sleep and even hunger may occur (Figure 2). Instead of providing an energy boost, junk food can lead to a lack of energy. Sugar (a type of carbohydrate) makes people feel energetic, happy and optimistic for a short period of time because the body uses it for energy. However,refined sugar, the type of sugar often found in junk food, leads to a rapid drop in blood sugar levels because it is quickly digested by the body. This can lead to fatigue and cravings [5].

Fiber is good carbohydrates commonly found in vegetables, fruits, barley, legumes, nuts and seeds – foods from the five food groups. Fiber not only keeps the digestive system healthy, but it also slows the emptying process of the stomach, keeping us full longer. Junk food is often deficient in fiber, so when we eat it we notice faster energy and increased hunger.

Foods such as walnuts, berries, tuna and green vegetables can increase concentration levels. This is especially important for young minds who do a lot of schoolwork. These foods are what most elite athletes eat! On the other hand, eating junk food can lead to poor concentration. Eating junk food can lead to swelling in the part of the brain that plays an important role in memory. A human study found that eating an unhealthy breakfast high in fat and sugar for four consecutive days caused disruptions in the learning and memory parts of the brain [6].

Long-term effects of junk food

If we eat mostly junk food for many weeks, months or years, there can be several long-term health consequences (Figure 2). For example longSaturated fatconsumption is strongly associated with high levels of bad cholesterol in the blood, which can be a sign of heart disease. Respected studies have shown that young people who eat only small amounts of saturated fat have lower total cholesterol levels [7].

Regular consumption of junk food can also increase the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure and stroke. Hypertension is also called high blood pressure, and a stroke is damage to the brain due to reduced blood flow, which prevents the brain from receiving the oxygen and nutrients it needs to survive. Hypertension and stroke can occur due to the high amounts of cholesterol and salt in junk food.

In addition, junk food can activate the 'happiness hormone',dopamine, which is released in the brain, making us feel good when we eat this food. This can lead us to want thatonlyjunk food to get the same happy feeling again [8]. Other long-term effects of eating too much junk food include tooth decay and constipation. For example, soft drinks can cause cavities due to high amounts of sugar and acid, which can erode the protective tooth enamel. Junk food also tends to be low in fiber, which has negative long-term effects on gut health. Fiber makes up the majority of our stool, and without fiber it can be difficult to lose weight!

Tips for being healthy

One way to determine if a food is junk food is to consider how it has been processed. When we think of food in its whole and original form, such as a fresh tomato, a grain of rice, or milk squeezed from a cow, we can begin to imagine how many steps it takes to transform that whole food into something that is ready. -to eat, tasty, practical and long lasting.

For teens aged 13 to 14, the recommended daily energy intake is 8,200-9,900 kJ/day or 1,960 kcal-2,370 kcal/day for boys and 7,400-8,200 kJ/day or 1,770-1,960 kcal for girls, according to the Australian Diet . guidelines. The more physically active you are, the greater your energy needs. Remember that junk food can be eaten occasionally, but it should not account for more than 10% of your daily energy intake. One day this could be a simple treat, like a small muffin or a few squares of chocolate. On a weekly basis, this should mean no more than two fast food meals per week. The remaining 90% of the food eaten should come from the five food groups.

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In conclusion, we know that junk food is tasty, affordable and convenient. This makes it difficult to limit the amount of junk food we eat. However, when junk food becomes a regular part of our diet, there can be negative consequences for our health. We should aim for fiber-rich foods such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits; meals with moderate amounts of sugar and salt; and calcium-rich and iron-rich foods. Healthy food helps build strong bodies and minds. Limiting junk food intake can be done on an individual level, based on our food choices, or through government policies and health promotion strategies. We need governments to stop junk food companies from advertising to young people, and we need their help to replace junk food restaurants with healthier options. Researchers can focus on education and health promotion around healthy food options and can work with youth to develop solutions. If we all work together, we can help young people around the world make food choices that will improve their short- and long-term health.

Dictionary

Obesity:↑A condition in which too much body fat increases the risk of health problems.

Processed foods:↑A raw agricultural food that has undergone processes to be washed, ground, cleaned and/or further cooked.

Discretionary eating:↑Food and drink are not necessary to provide the nutrients the body needs, but can add variety to a person's diet (according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines).

Refined sugar:↑Sugar that has been processed from raw sources such as sugar cane, sugar beet or corn.

Saturated fat:↑A type of fat commonly eaten from animal sources such as beef, chicken and pork, which typically promotes the production of 'bad' cholesterol in the body.

Dopamine:↑A hormone released when the brain expects a reward and is associated with pleasure-generating activities such as eating or shopping.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.