Junk food consumption by today’s young generation

On the occasion of August 12, celebrated as International Youth Day, we felt the need to provide an important insight to today’s young generation about ‘Junk Food’.

In today’s times the expectations and demands to be processed by today’s young generation are extremely fast almost as it happens with click on a mouse. Unfortunately, most of us follow this with our food habits as well; which have drastically changed over the past few decades.

Due to various reasons such as professional commitments, multi tasking, time restrictions, staying away from parents, laziness, fatigue and many other factors the eating habits have changed, people prefer junk food / outside food which only satiates the immediate need of the hungry stomach. However, the long term effects of such food are indeed harmful to our body which may lead to; Obesity, Heart diseases, Blood Pressure, Kidney problems and Blood Sugar imbalance.

The current lifestyle, especially of young IT people or those who spend average 8-10 hrs glued to a computer in the AC environs of an office, stressed with the work load is challenging if one is not regular with exercise. Coupled with these, junk food and carbonated drinks causes more harm to their body.

What exactly is then Junk Food?
Processed foods that have no nutritional values and need little or no preparation are known as junk foods. They are normally available as packaged snacks. For years, junk food, with their attractive colors, tickle the taste buds, and are irresistible to the young and old alike, with their wonderful array of varieties and flavour. This food however filled with empty calories and zero nutritional value offers next to nothing in terms of health benefits with absolutely no value for money. Due to changes in the lifestyle, eating junk food has now become a habit almost an addiction, (if allowed to exaggerate a bit) leading to childhood obesity and hordes of other dietary problems, which are bothering the entire world. Many foods such as hamburgers, pizza, and tacos can be considered either healthy or junk food depending on their ingredients and preparation methods. Highly processed food items usually fall under the junk food category.

Different types of Junk Food:
It is impossible to eliminate the indulgence of junk food due to variety of reasons but we can resolve to minimize their intake and if possible avoid some which produce harmful effects on the body no matter how irresistible delicacies they are. Following delicacies fall under the junk food category:

Pizza
Burgers
Deep Fried Stuff
Breakfast Cereals (covered with unhealthy sugars)
Candies
Donuts
Carbonated Beverages
Pastries and Cakes (having trans fat, chocolate, sugar and eggs)
Ice creams (rich in sugar and fat)
Instant Noodles (covered with wax and lacking essential proteins, vitamins, fibre and minerals)

Effects of Junk Food:
1) Fast foods and junk foods are high in fat, sodium and sugar, which can lead to obesity and a range of attendant health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.
2) Feeling chronically fatigued and lack of energy one needs to complete daily tasks.
3) The high levels of sugar in junk food puts your metabolism under stress; when you eat refined sugar, your pancreas secretes high amounts of insulin to prevent a dangerous spike in blood sugar levels.
4) Your blood sugar levels will drop suddenly after eating, leaving you feeling grumpy, fatigued and craving sugar as these foods don't contain adequate amounts of proteins and good carbohydrates.
5) Due to large amounts of fat one can gain weight and become obese leading to further health complications like heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.
6) The high levels of trans-fatty acids found in many junk foods and fast foods can lead to fatty liver deposits, which, over time, can cause liver dysfunction and disease.
7) It can lead to mood swings and constipation, and lower your energy levels so that you lack interest in the exercise you need to burn off those extra calories.

Understand the nutritional values from the labels:
It is advisable to check the sodium, sugar, cholesterol and fiber content besides the amount of calories and fat in the product. Kindly read the label giving you the list of main ingredients which will determine if the food is laden with fat, salt and sugar beyond normal magnitude.

The concrete step:
Food is an essential element for our good health and plays a pivotal role for sustenance and over all well-being. One should as far as possible have regular home cooked food and keep aside the penchant to hog on junk food periodically/everyday which have high levels of calories from salt, sugar and saturated fats containing insufficient vitamins, minerals, amino acids and proteins. Do not waste your important enzymes meant for other metabolic functioning in converting these junk food into energy.

Eat Nutritious. Stay Healthy. Please do not waste food too.