Nutritional Analysis of Junk Food

August 30, 2012

Junk food term refers to fast foods which are easy to make and quick to consume. They are zero in nutritional value and often high in fat, salt, sugar, and/or calories. Common junk foods include salted snack foods, fried fast food, and carbonated drinks. Junk Food has become a major problem and many countries are taking action – banning junk food advertising in childrens programmes, removing it from schools and even imposing a fat tax. Many junk foods also have trans fats. Trans fats behave like saturated fats when they get in the body. They clog up the human arteries and cause plaque to build up contributing to heart disease and stroke symptoms.

2008 report suggests that mothers who eat junk food while pregnant or breast-feeding have children who are more prone to obesity. The children are also more prone to diabetes, raised cholesterol, and high blood fat.

A recent report suggests that pregnant mothers who eat high sugar and high fat diets have babies who are likely to become junk food junkies themselves, this happens because the high fat and high sugar diet leads to changes in the fetal brain's reward pathway, altering food preferences.