Would you Stop Eating all Junk Food to Live Five Years Longer?
Junk food refers to food rich in salt or sugar, fat, and with low dietary value, and is deemed unhealthy. The World Health Organization criticizes junk food although it fails to give an accurate meaning of the term junk food. The lack of a specific meaning frequently causes difficulties to medical professionals, nutritionists, and lawmakers when they want to settle on a policy or to create recommendations to get rid of this type of food (Shridhar et al. 2-3). One thing that is exciting about living is the tendency of people fearing death and looking forward to tomorrow no matter how hard today might be. I would quit all junk food to live five years longer because long life is valuable and though difficult, it is possible to avoid junk food.
According to the consumers of junk food, there are some advantages attributed to its consumption. For instance, junk food is delicious and saves time, as well as the effort of cooking a meal. Junk food best fits the quick pace of our present lives, without considering why medical experts disregard consuming it (Franck et al. 1949-1950). After work, when extremely hungry and weary, one craves for a pizza or a burger. Despite the time taken in the kitchen cooking, preparing a meal requires going to the grocery shop to buy the ingredients. Additionally, there is the use of effort and time in washing and peeling the vegetables, which busy people might find difficult. In the current fast-paced way of life, junk food offers the most suitable alternative.
Avoiding the consumption of all junk food may be one of the hardest things to do considering that so many restaurants and junk food outlets offer attractive displays and there is an intense craving that comes with seeing one eating junk food or remembering the pleasure that comes with it. Moreover, advertisements, convenience, and peer influence can stimulate junk food hungering (Franck et al. 1949-1953). In this regard, keeping track of one’s food choices is needed to counter all the control factors. The utmost disadvantage of eating junk food is the harmful effects they pose to the health of its consumers. In fact, the major cause of obesity in the U.S. is junk food. The health consequences of poor feeding practices are many, cruel, and at times fatal.
Having a guaranteed five extra years for avoiding all junk food would mean having the opportunity to make the final years of my life fascinating. I would strive to influence others regarding healthy living. Perhaps, I would be the one to solve the global public health challenge of obesity. Poor nutrition, which entails taking much junk food, has been accountable for many deaths around the globe because of its negative impact on people’s health. Some of the health problems associated with junk food include obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and certain cancers (Shridhar et al. 1-3). Considering that many people die from these diseases each year and lives are ruined in many ways by the ailments, my cause would be to save lives and overturn situations. Saving my life and others’ would no doubt make my living worthwhile.
The obese and overweight people, especially teens, are not only at risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular sicknesses, asthma, glucose intolerance, psychosocial problems, cancer, and orthopedic predicaments, but they still suffer the threat of a shortened life. This raises fears that the current generation will have a shorter life compared to that of their parents. Although obesity could at times be because of biological or genetic factors, socio-cultural and behavioral aspects (such as the consumption of junk food) play a key role (Shridhar et al. 1-2). Even though accountability for a healthy nutrition rests fundamentally on people’s behavior, the advertising practices employed by various food-processing companies are like a rising pressure among the aspects that verify the consumption tendencies. Advertising of junk food in addition to other calorie-rich food is a likely cause of obesity. Hence, there is importance in deciding the extent of the influence of media.
Life is very valuable and every minute of living is cherishable. Poor nutrition leads to numerous severe health predicaments and is greatly accountable for the augment in obesity and other diseases. It is sensible to avoid all junk food to have just five more years of life. Most importantly, this would help make my life a legacy by influencing healthy eating and positive living. The effects of my endeavors would positive impact the lives of the people around me and the ones that I leave behind. The true value of life is not what people are living with, but what they choose, the sacrifices they make, and their positive contributions to the lives of others. Considering the negative effect of junk food consumption, it is essential for the involvement of governments and other stakeholders to control their advertisement. The effects of a bad nutrition for the generations to come could be shocking and irreparable. It is thus crucial to operate in a considerate way to try and either reduce or eradicate the consumption of junk food.
Works Cited
Franck, Caroline, et al. “Taxing Junk Food to Counter Obesity.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 103, no. 11, 2013, pp. 1949-1953.
Shridhar, Domanal, et al. “Modern Diet and Its Impact on Human Health.” Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences, vol. 5, no. 6, 2015, pp. 1-3.