Introduction
Everyone requires food for growth and development, as well as the energy necessary to perform daily activities. Although taste and preferences influence the type of food one takes, availability and accessibility determine what one eats when hungry. As a result, people are likely to eat unhealthy foodstuffs when the need arises. Most people eat junk food because outlets supplying this type of food are often found in towns and public places. Individuals often order junk food without considering its potential short-term and long-term effects on their well-being. Every person should avoid consuming junk food because it boosts the risk of various chronic health problems, such as obesity and overweight, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
Risks of Junk Food Consumption
Junk food contributes to the obesity and overweight of individuals across all age groups. This food contains more calories than a person’s body can burn daily, leading to considerable weight gain and obesity. Fuhrman (2018) indicates that overweight and obesity have become a health concern in the United States since they have become an epidemic that demands urgent management.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021) indicates that obesity in the United States was about 42.4% in 2018. Mohammadbeigi et al. (2019) add that junk foodstuffs contribute to a 57.6% prevalence of overweight and obesity. Singh et al. (2021) support the findings by noting that 53% of children and adolescents consume junk food at least once daily. These statistics prove that junk foods are dangerous and should be avoided as much as possible.
Junk foods contribute significantly to the high rate of diabetes in children and adults. These types of foods promote insulin resistance, which is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Daily junk food includes chips, caffeinated drinks, bakery products, and sugar-sweetened drinks (Singh et al., 2021). The CDC (2022) indicates that adults aged 20 years and above had diabetes in 2018. The findings by Lawrence et al. (2021) show that the rate of type 2 diabetes among persons aged 19 years and below increases at a rate of 95%. Therefore, avoiding eating junk foods can be a practical approach to managing the high rate of type 2 diabetes among citizens.
High consumption of junk food increases the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases. These foods have high levels of trans fats that raise bad cholesterol in the blood, elevating the likelihood of developing heart disease. Some cardiovascular disorders associated with junk foodstuffs include heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, heart attack, and coronary heart disease (Srour et al., 2019).
Cardiovascular diseases affect about 85.6 million Americans and cause the highest number of deaths and disabilities (McClellan et al., 2019). Srour et al. (2019) approximate that dietary factors contribute to 56% and 48% of cardiovascular disease-related deaths in women and men. Therefore, people should avoid junk foods to alleviate the possibility of developing heart diseases and their adverse impacts.
Ways to Decrease Health Effects of Junk Food
Junk food contributes to various health problems, adversely impacting individuals, society, and the healthcare system. Avoiding eating these types of foods is the best option for preventing and managing type diabetes, overweight and obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. One may argue that producers and suppliers of junk foods should be encouraged to minimize the calories contained in their products to prevent the closing of their businesses. However, there are no effective measures to monitor the implementation of this approach. The most significant percentage of products in major food chains should comprise healthy foodstuffs such as whole grains and fruits.
Governments and fast-food chains should collaborate to ensure citizens have more access to healthy foodstuffs than junk foods. The governments should offer tax subsidies to food outlets that offer healthy foods. Lowering the money charged for licenses to run a food business for those offering healthy foodstuffs can increase the latter’s supply, offering consumers varying alternatives.
Equally, the authorities should raise taxes on all unhealthy foods that increase the risk of various health problems. Governments and major food suppliers can work together to design and implement programs that provide only healthy foodstuffs in schools and colleges to curb the high rate of obesity and diabetes among children and adolescents. These measures can decrease the supply of junk foods, allowing people to effectively avoid them and their undesired health impacts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, people should avoid junk foods to prevent and help manage chronic health problems such as diabetes and obesity. Access to and consumption of healthy foods is a collective responsibility for individuals, the government, and food suppliers. Governments should develop and implement incentives and programs that encourage food producers and suppliers to offer a variety of healthy foodstuffs. On the other hand, consumers should make the right choice, avoid eating junk foods, and ensure their health.
References
Fuhrman, J. (2018). The hidden dangers of fast and processed food. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 12(5), 375-381.
Lawrence, J., Divers, J., Isom, S., Saydah, S., Imperatore, G., & Pihoker, C. (2021). Trends in prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents in the US, 2001-2017. JAMA, 326(8), 717-727.
McClellan, M., Brown, N., Califf, R., & Warner, J. (2019). Call to action: Urgent challenges in cardiovascular disease: A presidential advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 139(9), 44-54.
Mohammadbeigi, A., Asgarian, A., Ahmadli, R., Fara-Shirazi, S., Moshiri, E., & Ansari, H. et al. (2019). Prevalence of junk food consumption, overweight/obesity, and self-rated health and fitness in high school adolescent girls: a cross-sectional study in a deprived area of Qom. Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 48(3), 208-214.
Singh S, A., Dhanasekaran, D., Ganamurali, N., L, P., & Sabarathinam, S. (2021). Junk food-induced obesity- a growing threat to youngsters during the pandemic. Obesity Medicine, 26, 1-6.
Srour, B., Fezeu, L., Kesse-Guyot, E., Allès, B., Méjean, C., & Andrianasolo, R. et al. (2019). Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective cohort study (NutriNet-Santé). BMJ, 365, 1-14.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). Adult obesity facts. cdc.gov.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). Diabetes. cdc.gov.