Why junk food is bad for your health

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Junk food Junk food is used to describe food and drinks low in nutrients e. How often can I eat junk food? Junk foods are not required as part of any diet. If you are a healthy weight, try to eat junk foods occasionally and in small amounts.

If you are trying to lose weight, you will be more successful if you limit junk food. Children who eat fast food as a regular part of their diets consume more fat, carbohydrates and processed sugar and less fiber than those who do not eat fast food regularly.

Junk food in these children's diets accounts for extra calories per day, leading to 6 additional pounds of weight gain per year. Obesity increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and many other chronic health conditions. Your insulin levels become elevated when you eat processed sugars, such as those in soft drinks, white flour and other foods devoid of fiber and nutrients necessary to properly metabolize carbohydrates.

Eating junk foods throughout the day causes chronically high insulin levels, which eventually prompts your cells to begin to ignore this important hormone, resulting in a condition known as insulin resistance. Ultimately, obesity and Type 2 diabetes may set in.

Since the s, Type 2 diabetes, which was minimal in teenagers, has risen to 15 percent. Junk food may be connected to depression. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in that used data from 70, postmenopausal women found that diets high on the glycemic index, including those full of added sugar and refined grains such as junk food, were associated with greater odds of depression.

When your digestive system breaks down these foods, the carbs are released as glucose sugar into your bloodstream. As a result, your blood sugar increases. Your pancreas responds to the surge in glucose by releasing insulin. Insulin transports sugar throughout your body to cells that need it for energy. As your body uses or stores the sugar, your blood sugar returns to normal. But frequently eating high amounts of carbs can lead to repeated spikes in your blood sugar.

This increases your risk for insulin resistance , type 2 diabetes , and weight gain. Many fast-food meals have added sugar. Not only does that mean extra calories, but also little nutrition. Many fast-food drinks alone hold well over 12 ounces.

A ounce can of soda contains 8 teaspoons of sugar. That equals calories, 39 grams of sugar, and nothing else. Trans fat is manufactured fat created during food processing. No amount of trans fat is good or healthy. Eating foods that contain it can increase your LDL bad cholesterol , lower your HDL good cholesterol , and increase your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Restaurants may also compound the calorie-counting issue.

The combination of fat, sugar, and lots of sodium salt can make fast food tastier to some people. But diets high in sodium can lead to water retention , which is why you may feel puffy, bloated , or swollen after eating fast food. A diet high in sodium is also dangerous for people with blood pressure conditions. Sodium can elevate blood pressure and put stress on your heart and cardiovascular system.

According to one study, about 90 percent of adults underestimate how much sodium is in their fast-food meals. The study surveyed adults and found that their guesses were six times lower than the actual number 1, milligrams. This means sodium estimates were off by more than 1, mg. Keep in mind that the AHA recommends adults eat no more than 2, milligrams of sodium per day.

Excess calories from fast-food meals can cause weight gain. This may lead toward obesity. Obesity increases your risk for respiratory problems, including asthma and shortness of breath.