Unhealthy Food
What is a junk food ?
What constitutes a junk food may be confusing and according to critics may include elements of class snobbery and moral judgement. For example, fast food such as hamburgers, pizza and french fries supplied by companies such as McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut are often perceived as junk whereas the same meals supplied by more upmarket outlets such as Pizza Express or Nando’s are not despite often having the same or worse nutritional content.Other foods such as Foie Gras, Duck L’Orange, roast potatoes and bread are not considered junk food despite having limited nutritional content. Similarly, whilst candy and soft drinks are considered junk honey and grapes are not. Breakfast cereals are often regarded as healthy but may have high levels of sugar, salt and fat.Many critics believe that junk food is not harmful when consumed as part of a balanced diet and some believe that the term should not be used at all.
EffectsOnce children start consuming junk foods, their intake of high-protein-vitamins-roughage diet substantially decreases and intake of milk and healthy fruit juices is replaced by soft drinks. This can cause a deficiency of calcium, milk being a rich source of calcium, resulting in weakening of bones.Some types of chips that are said to be “junk food” may actually be partially beneficial because they may contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. However, since they are fats, the intake of these should be kept to a minimum. It should also be understood that the detrimental effects of the empty calories may outweigh the benefits of the unsaturated fats. These foods tend to be high in sodium, which may contribute in causing hypertension (high blood pressure) in some people.