Junk food is so called because it doesn't play a role in healthy eating, especially if you overeat. Junk food is also known as discretionary food or optional food. Do you know what foods are unhealthy? When examining your diet, it can be difficult to determine which foods are healthy or not. Unfortunately, the average American consumes more than double the recommended intake of sodium and sugar, consuming 3,600 milligrams of sodium and 22 teaspoons of sugar a day.
Dallas, TX 75231 This link is provided for your convenience only and does not constitute an endorsement of the related entity or of any product or service. Eating junk food on a regular basis can increase the risk of obesity and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and some types of cancer. This means that junk food is replacing other, more nutritious foods in our diet. See the LiveLighter data infographic on junk food (PDF 306 KB).
View the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating brochure (PDF 300 KB). This publication is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. Information about a therapy, service, product, or treatment does not imply approval or is intended to replace the advice of your health professional.
Readers should keep in mind that, over time, the timeliness and completeness of the information may change. All users should consult a qualified healthcare professional for a diagnosis and for answers to their medical questions. Fast food and fast food restaurants are often equated with junk food, although fast foods cannot be categorically described as junk food. The committee disagreed with the use of salt, sugar and fat in processed foods, noted the problems of overeating and the high percentage of junk food advertisements on television, and stated that poor eating habits could be as deadly as smoking.
Smith's Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food, junk food is defined as those commercial products, including candies, baked goods, ice cream, savory snacks and soft drinks, that have little or no nutritional value, but are high in calories, salt and fat. Several countries have taken, or are considering, various forms of legislative measures to curb the consumption of junk food. The term junk food dates back at least to the early 1950s, although its coining has been attributed to Michael F. Add whole wheat dough or part of whole wheat, plus vegetables as a dressing, and I'd say pizza falls completely out of the junk food category.
The Advertising Standards Authority of the United Kingdom, the self-regulatory agency of the United Kingdom's advertising industry, uses nutritional profiling to define junk food. One problem with junk food is that they have a low satiety value, meaning people don't tend to feel as full when they eat it, which can lead to overeating. The most processed products are often included in the junk food category, including breakfast cereals, which are mostly sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and white flour or ground corn. Then, an increase in one standard deviation in junk food was related to excessive hyperactivity in 33% of the subjects, leading to the conclusion that children who consume junk food in excess at age seven are more likely to be in the upper third of the hyperactivity scale.
Concern about the negative health effects of a diet rich in junk food, especially obesity, has led to public health awareness campaigns and restrictions on advertising and sales in several countries. If you eat junk food every day, you're likely to be obese and more vulnerable to chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and certain types of cancer. Of course, junk food is also available in chain restaurants across the country in the form of French fries, chicken nuggets, milkshakes, soft drinks, etc. They seem innocent enough, but some of them could definitely be considered junk food, as they mostly contain sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and white flour or ground corn.
As for the source of the appeal of junk food, there is no definitive scientific answer; physiological and psychological factors are cited. .
