International Journal of Theoretical & Applied Sciences, 7(1): 51-55(2015)

ISSN No. (Print): 0975-1718

ISSN No. (Online): 2249-3247

Junk Food and Human Health: A Synoptic Review

Nilima Y. Bhoge
Department of Food Science,
Arts Science and Commerce College Chikhaldara, (Maharashtra), INDIA
ISSN No. (Print) : 0975-1718
(Corresponding author: Nilima Y. Bhoge)
(Received 11 May, 2015 accepted 20 June, 2015)
ISSN
(Published by Research Trend, Website: www.researchtrend.net)
No. (Online) : 2249-3247
ABSTRACT: Drastic changes have been observed among the people in the recent years with reference to
selection of different food items. On the other hand, various diseases were reported among the people all over
the world and the obvious reasons were the consumption of junk foods. The worst victims were the children
who prefer junk foods available at the market. Diet cognisant people are now getting the message that wise
dietary fat choices offer essential fatty acids, blood lipid management, maintained endocrine and immune
function, inflammation control, metabolic effects and even potential body composition and performance
benefits. This has compelled certain companies to sell foods that are recognized by health authorities. The
present review aims to strengthen our knowledge regarding the use of Junk food and its possible health
impacts. Practical suggestions for incorporating healthy fats will be made.
Keywords: Junk Food, Health, Selection, Balanced Diet
I. INTRODUCTION menu selection (Wagner & Winett, 1988) at a fast-food
restaurant.
Junk food is a depreciatory phrase for inexpensive food
Eating a healthy diet is a tedious job for children and
with high levels of calories from sugar or fat with little
people who are busy. The only way to evade junk food
fiber, protein, vitamins or minerals (O'Neill and
is to encourage eating healthy diet and more of the
Brendon, 2010). The term dates back at least to the
foods that are low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
early 1950s, (Zimmer and Ben 2010) although it has
high fiber foods, including whole-grain foods,
been reported that it was coined in 1972 by Michael F.
vegetables and fruits and foods that have only a
Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public
moderate amount of sugar and salt calcium rich foods,
Interest. The high protein food such as meat prepared
to meet daily calcium requirements. Iron rich foods
with saturated fat, many hamburger outlets, fried
must be included to meet daily requirements for iron.
chicken outlets and the like supply food considered as
The excess fat, carbohydrates, and processed sugar
junk food. With the advent of Hostess Twinkies and
present in junk food expose people to an increased risk
Fritos corn chips, McDonalds and KFC, junk food has
of obesity, cardiovascular disease, weight gain,
become more and more popular among the people.
diabetes, and many other chronic health conditions. The
Although, researchers reported health impacts caused
consumption of healthy foods like fruit, vegetables or
by junk foods, few believe that such foods usually do
dairy products has been found to be very less in people
not cause any immediate health apprehension, when
who eat too much junk food in single sitting and to
incorporated with a well balanced diet (Magee, Elaine
gratify their hunger. Junk food consumption modify
2007). However, the utilization of a "junk food"-heavy
brain activity in a manner comparable to addictive
diet, may cause obesity that has resulted in public
drugs like cocaine and heroin revealed by Scripps
health consciousness movements, and ban on
Research Institute study in 2008. The pleasure centers
advertising of such commodities (WHO, 2015).
of rat brains became desensitized, requiring more food
Attempts have been made to change the eating habits of
for pleasure; after the junk food was taken away and
people from less desirable to more desirable types of
replaced with a healthy diet (Johnson, et al 2010). ).
food. Three Community Study using mass media and
The likelihood of unhealthy eating habits during
community education showed that diets could be
pregnancy increased in the offspring’s of rats has been
somewhat modified through community-wide health
also observed. Modern diet relates to ‘Junk food’ that
promotion efforts (Maccoby, et al 1977). Dubbert, et al
simply means an empty calorie food. An empty calorie
1984; Mayer, et al, 1986 indicated that smaller scale
food is a high calorie or calorie rich food which lacks in
interventions using a variety of labelling and prompting
micronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins,
strategies have been successful in increasing the sale of
vitamins, minerals, or amino acids, and fiber but has
low calorie and low fat items in cafeterias and
high energy (calories).
increasing the sales of salads, a low-fat, high-fiber
 Bhoge 52
These foods does not contain the nutrients that your seriously affected one’s eating habits and enforced
body needs to stay healthy. Hence, this food that has many people to consume fancy and high calorie fast
poor dietetic values is considered unhealthy and may be foods, popularly known as Junk foods. Research into
called as junk food [11]. Junk food is an informal term the possible health hazards on consumption of such
applied to some foods which are perceived to have little high calorie foods has given an insight to avoid them,
or no nutritional value, but which also have ingredients but unfortunately measures taken are not as effective as
considered unhealthy when eaten regularly, or to those they need to be. Ailments like Obesity, food poisoning,
considered unhealthy to consume at all. Hence, an dehydration, cardiac problems diabetes mellitus, and
attempt has been made to review and understand the arthritis have seen a profound rise in developing
possible health impacts of junk food. countries and such unhealthy junk food, processed
food, high fat calorie consumption are the notable
II. JUNK FOODS AND POSSIBLE HEALTH
factors to its contribution. Fast food is coupled with low
CONCERNS
nutritional value, the high fat, calorie and sodium
Today’s world has been adapted to a system of content of the foods can lead to a variety of health
consumption of foods which has several adverse effects problems. The over consumption of junk foods may
on human health. Lifestyle changes has constrained us cause weight gain, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular
so much that one has so little time to really think what conditions among the people.
we are eating is a healthy diet. Globalization has
Table 1: Some junk foods and health effects.
S No Foods Diseases websites
1 Trans foods e.g., Trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and 1
Doughnuts, and baked goods lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Eating trans
including cakes, pie crusts, fats increases your risk of developing heart disease and
biscuits, frozen pizza, cookies, stroke. It’s also associated with a higher risk of
crackers, and stick margarines developing type 2 diabetes.
2 Fast Foods risk for kidney stones, kidney disease, and stomach 2
cancer. risk of asthma and rhinitis, depression.
3 Packaged Cookies change in weight (loss and gain), loss of appetite, 3
occasional nausea, dizziness, vomiting and confusion,
acidic blood condition
4 Cake Frosting nausea, bloating, blood sugar spike diabetes, heart 4
disease, obesity, tooth decay, cavities, liver dysfunction,
infertility (in women), cancer, stroke
5 Colas and Sodas Kidney Failures Metabolism Level Decreases Obesity 5
and Diabetes, Teeth and Bone Damage, Reproduction
problems
6 Fried Foods clog arteries and lead to strokes and Alzeimer's, Clogged 6
veins and arteries cause heart attacks and aneurysms.
emphysema and respiratory distress
7 High fructose foods promoting obesity, disease, and death 7

III DRIVERS OF FAST FOOD CONSUMPTION that are well educated can choose to adopt a healthy
lifestyle, the poor have fewer food choices and more
Fast Food consumption is variably affected by a whole
limited access to nutritional education.
range of factors including food availability, food
accessibility and food choice, which in turn may be (b) Urbanization
influenced by geography, demography, disposable
Urbanization has various results that it leads to new and
income, urbanization, globalization, marketing,
improved marketing, distribution infrastructure, attracts
religion, culture and consumer attitudes. Some of these
large supermarkets dominated by multinational
drivers that are specifically related to the nutrition
corporations, and results in better transportation
transition are discussed below.
systems thereby improving access to fast food. This
(a) Income ultimately facilitates and results in the globalization of
food consumption patterns.
Increased incomes or lower prices have lead to the
increased consumption of processed foods. While those
 Bhoge 53
(c) Trade liberalization In this quasi-experimental study by Matvienko, 2007
students at 2 intervention schools participated in a 4-
Availability of processed food has risen in India after
week after-school program, NutriActive Healthy
foreign direct investment by multinational food
Experience, that included nutrition lessons, healthy
companies. Thus, changes in trade policies have
snacks, and parent education. The intervention group
facilitated the rising availability and consumption of
showed a 25.7% improvement in choosing more
fast food in India. These policies of trade liberalization
healthful snacks, and the comparison group showed an
therefore have implications for health by virtue of being
18.2% decline. At 4 months, the intervention group's
a factor contributing to the ‘nutrition transition’ that is
score was 33.3% higher than baseline and the
associated with rising rates of obesity and chronic
comparison group's score remained 18.2% lower than
diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer
baseline (time by treatment interaction, P= .023).
(Thow & Hawkes 2009).
Intervention students were significantly more likely
(d) Franchises and manufacturers than comparison students to choose more healthful
snacks when given the opportunity. The snack test may
KFC, McDonalds, Kraft and Nestlé are all drivers of
be a useful alternative for assessing snack choices of
the fast-food market, processed foods and Western
children ages six to seven years.
lifestyle that have become so widespread in developing It is further advocated that research should investigate
countries (Hawkes 2005). Due to globalization of food the optimal duration of a nutrition education program in
systems, traditional diets in developing countries are
a child care setting and other external influences most
being transformed as more meals are now available in
influential on snack choice and eventual obesity risk.
the fast-food calorie-rich pattern of developed
Braun et al., 2014 described Children's Healthy Living
countries, and these are increasingly abundant and
(CHL) Program can be used the ANGELO (Analysis
cheap through advances in food processing and modern Grid for Environments/Elements Linked to Obesity)
technology. model to design a regional intervention to increase fruit
(e) Retailing and vegetable intake, water consumption, physical
activity, and sleep duration and decrease recreational
Supermarkets along with large-scale food screen time and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption
manufacturers have profoundly transformed fast food in young children ages 2-8 years. The stressed that
industry in our country. This rapid growth was only engaging community to identify preferred intervention
possible because supermarkets expanded beyond their strategies by formulating the regional intervention.
original markets, moving into small and poor countries, Community results were combined with the effective
from urban to rural areas. The fast food consumption obesity-reducing strategies identified in the literature,
has a strong impact due to retailing. resulting in a regional intervention with four cross-
(g) Consumer attitudes and behaviour cutting functions: (1) initiate or strengthen school
wellness policies; (2) partner and advocate for
Consumer health awareness continues to grow with the environmental change; (3) promote CHL messages; and
increasing availability of health information going hand (4) train trainers to promote CHL behavioral objectives
in hand with the ageing of populations and increased for children ages 2-8 years. These broad functions
risk for lifestyle diseases. Selection of foods that are guided intervention activities and allowed communities
acceptable to an individual increasingly takes place in a to tailor activities to maximize intervention fit. Habit of
context where availability is substantially influenced by eating fast food can damage the body of people in
the food industry and food retailers. several ways. By making smarter choices people can
IV. MANAGEMENT OF JUNK FOOD restrict the health risks associated with eating fast
CONSUMPTION foods.
However, increasing fruit/vegetable consumption, water
A multiple baseline approach examined the effects of intake, physical activity and sleep; and decreasing
two procedures on the snack selection behavior of 25 screen time and intake of sugar sweetened beverages
third grade children. In children who were selected non- may be useful in reducing the burden of children
nutritious rather than nutritious snacks for more than (Fialkowski et al., 2014). Community-identified
40% of the baseline observations, nutrition education priorities centered on policy development; role
alone had little or no impact on their selection of modeling; enhancing access to healthy food, clean
snacks. However, with the implementation of water, and physical activity venues; and healthy living
correspondence training, in which a reward was made education are the other factors that may be useful in this
contingent upon carrying out a stated intent to choose a regard.
nutritious snack, the children consistently chose
nutritious snacks (Friedman et al. 1990).
 Bhoge 54
It is obvious that fast foods are always a temptation found in dairy sources such as low-fat milk and cheese
because they are widely available, easy available and or in other sources such as broccoli or kale promotes
cheap. Parents and educators can be more involved in peak bone mass and decreased risk for osteoporosis and
increasing awareness regarding the negative effects of bone fractures later in life. In general, a diet low in fat,
fast foods and discourage children from consuming especially saturated fat, low in salt and high in fiber and
them. Since many food patterns start during early calcium can prevent obesity and disease. Advocating
childhood, parents and teachers should avoid using fast nutrient dense diets, rich in whole grains, fresh fruits,
foods as rewarding meals and attempt to educate and vegetables and increased physical activity may
children on healthy food choices. Encouraging the serve as the greatest investment of society, the health of
consumption of a balanced diet, high in complex our youth. The perception among people with regard to
carbohydrates such as legumes, fruits, vegetables, and fast food in India is shown in fig. 1 and frequency of
whole grains may result in many health benefits. In outlets of key players in fast food is shown in Fig. 2.
addition, promoting a diet rich in calcium, which is

90

80

70

60

50
Need toControl
40
No need to Control
30

20

10

0
Awareness of ill effects Not aware of ill effects

Source: Nitin et al., 2015

Fig. 1. Association between awareness of ill effects of fast food consumption.

Source: opportunities in Indian food service market

Fig. 2. Frequencies of the outlets of key players in India.
 Bhoge 55
IV. CONCLUSION [7]. Magee, Elaine (2007). "Junk-Food Facts". WebMD.
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