As a craze apparently seems to drive children and younger people to eat junk foods considering those as tasty and preferred items, the intake of junk foods leads many to face the shocks of multiple diseases. Generally junk foods denote to foods that people expect to eat quickly, either on- or off-site. There are a plenty of well-researched evidences demonstrating the various negative health effects of eating and overeating junk food, in both the short- and long-term.
Commonly considered junk foods include salted snacks, gums, candy, sweet desserts, fried fast food, and sugary carbonated beverages. Such as hamburgers, pizza, and tacos can be considered either healthy or junk foods depending on their ingredients and preparation methods. Conventional junk food intake leads to long-term health problems such as obesity, accompanying emotional and self-esteem problems, and chronic illnesses.
A single fast food meal could add 160 and 310 extra kilocalories to the daily caloric intake for teenagers and younger children respectively, according to a medical journal. Medicine Specialist Motaleb Ahmed at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) said, “Fast food items have low nutrient value. All the junk foods contain calories, sugar and fat. Liver and kidney diseases with have adverse effects on the immune system in the long run.”
“We know that these foods are harmful to health but we still crave for these. People should prefer homemade food or packaged food. If you want to live a healthy life, junk foods should be avoided“, he added. While mentioning the impact on mouth and teeth he said, sugar in fast food and processed food can increase acids in your mouth. These acids can break down tooth enamel. As tooth enamel disappears, bacteria can take hold, and cavities may develop.
Obesity can also lead to complications with bone density and muscle mass. A study in the Nutrition Journal focuses on the effects of a Western diet on a person's immune system. This is a diet that consists of high amounts of sugar, salt, and saturated fat from only a few sources.
The study paper claims that a Western diet can lead to higher inflammation, lower control of infection, higher cancer rates, and higher risk of allergic and auto inflammatory diseases. Another study in the journal Thorax establishes a link between fast food consumption in teenagers and children and an increase in asthma, rhino conjunctivitis, and eczema.
Scientists say fast food increases the risk of a child's asthma by about 40 percent. Children who eat fast food have an increased risk of asthma, eczema, and nose problems. This information was recently published in the 'Thorax' journal that shows that young children who eat fast food three or more times a week are 39 percent more likely to suffer from asthma.
About the fast food nutritionist Saiba Sultana said, "Typical foods such as red meats, refined grains, such as bread require lots of sugar and salt." “This kind of food is very delicious and appealing as it easily attracts buyers. Moreover, it takes less time to serve. That is why many people choose fast food as foods,” Sultana added.
She further said that, eating extra fast food could lead to various physical problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, central nervous system problems, dental problems, kidney diseases and insomnia.
