Junk Food, Impact on Health

The consumption of large quantities of junk food contributes to life-threatening diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Foods that are processed and contain excessive calories, fat, sugar, salt, and/or carbohydrates are referred to as junk food. It is a general term used for any food or beverage with high calories and low nutritional value. Because junk food is a broad category, sometimes, the term itself may be misleading. For example, potatoes may be perceived to be an unhealthy choice (i.e., as junk food), when, in fact, cooked or baked potatoes are not classified in this category. On the contrary, processed potatoes such as French fries and potato chips are classified as junk food. To understand the phenomenon of junk food and its impact ...