It may not be an overstatement that happiness is nothing more than good health. Most people would agree health is one of our most precious assets. Our state of health has a major impact on our quality of life. We only get one chance at life, thus, it is important to take good care of our bodies which also means paying attention to what we put in our bodies. This is why we should abstain from junk and fast food as much as possible because there are many harmful effects of junk food lifestyle.
Junk food negatively affects our energy level as opposed to healthy diet. Junk food is often loaded with unhealthy ingredients such as sugar which lead to obesity and weight gain. A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that sugar-heavy beverages have positive relationship with obesity and weight gain. Another study conducted at the University of Cambridge in 2009 found that high-fat diet may reduce an individual’s energy level in as little as one week . It is clear junk food lifestyle results in lower energy levels which also reduces the quality of one’s lifestyle because one cannot fully enjoy many activities such as sports and outdoors.
Junk food lifestyle should also be avoided due to many health costs including the high risk of diabetes. In addition to diabetes, junk food lifestyle also increases other health risks such as cardiovascular diseases. The fact that junk food may increase the risk of diabetes should not come as a surprise because junk food is usually high in calories, poor in nutritional value, high in fat, sugar, and salt, and often has processed ingredients . There is a reason more and more people are concerned about the growing popularity of fast food among children because junk food lifestyle leads to higher risk of obesity which in turn increases the risk of diabetes.
Junk food is not only bad for our bodies but even for the environment. The high environmental costs of junk food cannot be treated lightly because climate change is one of the major social issues facing our world. A pound of hamburger requires 2500 gallons of water and 16 pounds of grain to produce and this is in addition to the land resources needed to raise the cattle stock . The reality is that the environmental costs of junk food lifestyle are almost everywhere if we pay attention such as countless bottles and cans of soda beverages as well as packaging material for chips, cookies, and other snacks we all have come to love. Thus, our addiction to junk food is also imposing huge costs on the environment which is not fair to future generations as they will be inheriting this earth from us.
It is almost impossible to put a price on good health. We are only given one life and one body and if we take such good care of replaceable possessions such as cars and houses, it is strange we can be so careless with our bodies. Junk food should be avoided as much as possible because it imposes huge costs on us. First of all, junk food leads to low energy levels which also negatively impacts our ability to enjoy many activities, especially, those that require high levels of stamina. Junk food lifestyle may also lead to higher levels of health risks such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Last but not least, junk food is also bad for the environment and this is important because climate change is one of the biggest social issues in modern times.
- Brookshier, Stephanie. How Does Junk Food Affect Your Weight & Energy? 15 October 2015
- Diabetes Digital Media Ltd. Fast Food and Diabetes (Junk Food). 5 October 2015
- MDhealth. Disadvantages of Fast Food. 5 October 2015
