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JUNK
FOOD
Cheetos
The
Luther Burger, a bacon cheeseburger which employs a glazed donut in place of
each bun. Junk
food is a term describing food that
is perceived to be unhealthy or having poor nutritional value, according to
Food Standards Agency. The term is believed to have been coined by Michael
Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in 1972.
The term has since become common usage. Junk food typically contains high levels of
fat, salt, or sugar and numerous food additives such as monosodium glutamate
and tartrazine; at the same time, it is lacking in proteins, vitamins and
fiber, among others. It is popular with suppliers because it is relatively
cheap to manufacture, has a long shelf life and may not require
refrigeration. It is popular with consumers because it is easy to purchase,
requires little or no preparation, is convenient to consume and has lots of
flavor. Consumption of junk food is associated with obesity, heart disease,
Type 2 diabetes and dental cavities. There is also concern about the
targeting of marketing at children. What is junk food?
What constitutes unhealthy food may be
confusing and, according to critics, includes elements of class snobbery and
moral judgement. For example, fast food such as hamburgers and french fries
supplied by companies such as McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut are often
perceived as junk food, whereas the same meals supplied by more up-market
outlets such as Pizza Express or Nando's are not, despite often having the
same or worse nutritional content. Other foods such as rice, roast potatoes
and bread are not considered junk food despite having limited nutritional
content. Similarly, 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.
Hostess Twinkies Should a child start consuming junk food
exclusively, as opposed to having a balanced diet, their intake of
high-protein-vitamins-roughage diet would substantially decrease and intake
of milk and healthy fruit juices would likely be replaced by soft drinks.
This would potentially lead to a deficiency of calcium, since milk is rich in
calcium. Calcium deficiency, in turn, results in weakening of bones
(osteoporosis). Some types of chips that are said to be
"junk food" may actually be partially beneficial because they may
contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. 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. Marketing
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