Junk food is a food with extremely low nutritional value, sometimes called high in “empty calories”. 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. 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.
The main difference between junk food and fast food is that junk food basically refers to foods with extremely low nutritional value, while fast food refers to easily accessible foods that can be bought quickly at restaurants. Between 1968 and 1977, the McGovern Committee (Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs of the United States Senate, chaired by Senator George McGovern) undertook an initial, outstanding and controversial attempt to identify and reduce junk food in the American diet. Junk food provides empty calories and provides little or no of the protein, vitamins, or minerals needed for a nutritious diet. In the Smith 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.
The prohibitions would not affect ads that do not directly promote a junk food product, and the promotion of these products on the company's websites and social media accounts would still be allowed. Basically, junk food refers to foods with extremely low nutritional value, while fast food refers to easily accessible foods that can be bought quickly at restaurants. The main difference between junk food and fast food is that junk food is a variety of foods with an extremely low nutrient profile, while fast food refers to a variety of easily accessible fast foods served in fast food restaurants. The term junk food dates back at least to the early 1950s, although its coining has been attributed to Michael F.
The most processed products tend to fall into the junk food category, including breakfast cereals, which are mostly sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and white flour or ground corn. Unlike junk food, which is often considered unhealthy, some healthy fast food options, such as green salads, corn and chicken, are also available in today's fast-food restaurants. Excessive consumption of fast food and junk food can increase the risk of diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. 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.
