What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Junk Food?
Junk foods, like burgers and fries, soft drinks, potato chips and chocolate chip cookies are just a few of the junk food favorites you might enjoy on a weekly basis. Highly processed and loaded with fat, calories and sugar, junk foods are designed for taste and convenience. However, these tasty snacks offer virtually no nutrition, and may cause more damage than they are worth.
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Weight
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Junk food causes weight gain, because it is high in fat and calories. In addition, junk food contains less fiber and water than more natural foods, so it is not as filling, prompting many to eat more than a normal portion size to feel full. Junk foods also contain high amounts of sugar, which will cause rapid weight gain. Individuals who are overweight or obese are at risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and a host of other health problems.
Nutrition and Health
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Though junk food is loaded with calories and fat, it usually contains few of the nutrients your body needs. The website Prevention notes that the nutrients in the foods you eat are necessary to build new cells and keep your body running efficiently. The nutrients found in healthy foods like vegetables, fruits and fish may reduce your risk for Parkinson's and Alzheimers, according to WebMD. In fact, according to Prevention, 80 percent of diseases like heart disease and obesity may be avoided by eating a healthy, balanced diet, avoiding junk food and enjoying a healthy lifestyle.
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Depression
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The foods you eat play a major factor in your mood, according to research reported by WebMD. Researchers discovered that eating junk foods increased the occurence of depression in the individuals studied. In the study, individuals who ate a diet high in refined sugar, like cookies, cakes, soft drinks and chocolate, as well as fattening foods like french fries and processed meats, were more likely to be depressed than those who ate a healthy, balanced diet.
Addiction
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High calorie junk foods cause a reaction in the brain similar to cocaine, reports CNN. According to the study, published in Nature Neuroscience, rats fed junk food became addicted, needing more and more to feel satisfied, and eating compulsively to get a fix.
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References
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