Is Junk Food Really Harmful?

The word 'junk' means worthless. So it's quite natural when somebody says junk food, we tend to question the quality of the food.

According to Andrew Smith, author of ' Encyclopedia of junk food and fast food',  junk foods are   those commercial products, including candy, bakery goods, ice cream, salty snacks, and soft drinks, which have little or no nutritional value but do have plenty of calories, salt, and fats. While not all fast foods are junk foods, most are. Fast foods are ready-to-eat foods served promptly after ordering.

Junk food contains high levels of calories from sugar or fat with little fibers, protein, vitamins or minerals. Junk food is also known as fast food because it takes comparatively less time for preparation.

With the changing lifestyle and busy professional life, the preference for junk food has become necessary evil. First of all, it saves time. You don’t need to wait for long to get your order delivered. Food is generally prepared in matter of minutes. Certain fast food items are already prepared in advance and are ready consumption.  Secondly, it is less expensive and easily accessible. You can locate fast food centers in almost all streets of your city! 

Despite concerns raised by health experts on fast foods, the number of junk food centers has increased considerably in recent years. The number will further increase. No doubt in it! Now the question arises 'is junk food really harmful?'

The disastrous health effects from the enormous appetite for these processed fat- and sugar-loaded foods are well publicized now. This was particularly dramatically evidenced by Super Size Me (2004), filmmaker Morgan Spurlock's 30-day all-McDonald's diet in which his liver suffered the same poisoning as if he had been on an extended alcohol binge. Through increased globalization, American popular food culture is being increasingly emulated elsewhere in the world, such as China, with the potential for similar disastrous consequences.

Junk foods increase the risk of obesity, gastrointestinal problems, heart disease and diabetes. Studies also reveal that junk food can actually cause serious damage to your brain. If you consume more junk foods, then your intake of essential nutrients will be reduced automatically due to constraints in digestive system of human body.

Despite being labeled as "junk," such foods usually do not pose any immediate health concerns and are generally safe when integrated into a well balanced diet. If you take foods, which are prepared under hygienic conditions, then there is no harm in taking fast foods.

As Andrew Smith says eating junk food and fast food is a great all-American passion. American kids and grownups love their candy bars, Big Macs and supersized fries, Doritos, Twinkies, and Good Humor ice cream bars.