Industrial food giants such as KFC, Nestlé, and McDonald’s are expanding aggressively in developing countries and places like Brazil, Ghana, China, and India, where obesity and other health problems are becoming epidemic. Today, fast and processed foods are the norm. But they can harm our health and society more than you might imagine.
Today, in most developed countries, more than half of their calories come from processed, fast, and fake foods. It’s surprising how dangerous fast food can be to your health. And it gets worse. The global fast food market is growing. Demand for packaged foods is also expected to increase.
You will learn about the harmful effects of these unhealthy foods. But the good news is that you can help reverse these trends. The first step is education. The industrial food industry hopes you never know about some things they do. These industries affect you even if you don’t eat fast or processed foods often. You may pay higher taxes because of their actions. You may pay more for health insurance. Your friends loved ones, and community may be in greater danger than you realize.
Let’s see why Dr. Joel Fuhrman is a featured speaker at the Food Revolution Summit and author of the new book, The Fast Food Genocide: Processed Food Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It. You may already know that fast and processed foods can wreak havoc on your health, leading to diabetes and obesity, as well as premature heart death, cancer, stroke, and more. But these foods also change your brain and mental health—making depression, mental illness, and other problems worse.
The Impacts of Junk Food on Health
According to a study published in the Journal of Public Health, people who eat fast food are 51% more likely to develop depression than those who don’t. This finding was found in people who ate only two servings of fast food per week. Another study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that women who ate just one french fry a week during their teenage years had a 27% increased risk of breast cancer. A study published in Control found that eating fast food once a week increased the risk of dying from coronary heart disease by 20%, rising to 50% for people who ate fast food two or three times a week.
Food has three main nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Food also contains vitamins and minerals that support health, growth, and development. Good nutrition is very important during our teenage years. However, when we eat junk food, we eat large amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that are quickly absorbed by the body.
Examples of fast foods include:
- French fries
- Bagels
- Croissants
- Energy bars
- Soda
- Frozen entrees
- Deli meats and cheeses
- Cookies, cakes, and candy
- Products made with white flour
One way to determine if a food is junk food is to think about how much it is processed. When we think of food in its original, whole-grain form, such as a fresh tomato, a grain of rice, or expressed cow’s milk, we can begin to envision that whole food as a whole. How many steps does it take to convert into an object? Ready. -Eatable, tasty, convenient and has a long shelf life.
Finally, we know junk food is delicious, cheap, and convenient. It makes it difficult to limit the amount of junk food we eat. However, if junk food becomes an important part of our diet, it can negatively affect our health. We need fiber-rich foods like whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Foods that contain moderate amounts of sugar and salt. And foods rich in calcium and iron. Healthy foods help build a strong body and mind. Limiting junk food consumption can be done individually, 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 your help to replace junk food restaurants with healthier options. Researchers can focus on health education and the promotion of healthy food choices and work with youth to develop solutions. If we all work together, we can help young people worldwide make food choices that improve their short- and long-term health.
